On Saturday, June 2, citizens of Islamabad gathered in front of Islamabad’s press club to protest against the government for failing to control forest fires in Margalla Hills. The protesters, holding banners and placards, demanded government action against those responsible for the fire in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP).
Uzma Saeed, who works at the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB), was among the protesters. She said she was disappointed to see how the government was unable to control the fire, which was threatening the unique flora and fauna of the national park. Talking to The Friday Times, she said the ‘fire season’ in Margalla Hills started mid-April and continued till the end of June, monsoon rains began. She said some residents in the area were involved in starting the fires.
Saeed said there were also some bureaucratic hurdles because of which the fire could not be put out on time. “There was a disagreement between the Capital Development Authority and Islamabad Wildlife Management Board. The finance division of CDA refused to give out funds, saying this was IWMB’s domain. However, when forest fire got serious, the CDA decided to act on its own.”
CDA’s Deputy Director for Media Akhtar Rasool told The Friday Times that forest fires were caused by locals when guards stopped them from grazing their livestock in the national park. “People start the fires as revenge. The MHNP is mainly a scrub zone and it acts as fuel in dry season. Due to low rainfall and drought as well as low humidity, there are greater chances of forest fires.”
Setting grass on fire has been a regular practice for centuries since it ensures healthy growth of vegetation but these unprecedented fires show that time has changed
“Every year, around 400 people are hired to put out the fires but this year, there was a delay as the IWMB wrote to us that they were responsible for the protection of the MHNP and asked for funds to deal with the issue. Since there is no provision for CDA to provide funds to the board, the request was denied. Eventually the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) hired people to deal with the situation and the CDA then wrote to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), requesting army’s assistance to control the fires.”
Army helicopters poured water over the flaming forests and put out about 90 percent of the fire.
Citizens protesting against the government for failing to control the fire in Margalla Hills
Assessing the damage
The Margalla Hills rise from 600 metres in Islamabad to a peak of 1,604 metres at Rumli Narias. The park hosts 250 species of birds including Kaleej Pheasant, Peregrine Falcon, Red-Capped Falcon, Fairy Pitta and Slender Billed Leaf Warbler, and also has 55 species of butterflies. Barking deer and leopards are also found in the national park.
Hammad Gilani, a post-doctorate researcher from the University of Illinois, assisted this scribe in processing the geographic information system (GIS) images of Islamabad’s forest fires. The analysis revealed that in April, less area was affected due to the fire in the national park but its intensity was high. In May, a larger area was affected but the fire intensity declined.
Tahir Rasheed, CEO of South Punjab Forest Company (SPFC), told The Friday Times that there were two types of forest fires. “One is natural and the other is anthropogenic. Natural forest fires occur mainly due to dry seasons and lightning, whereas man-made forest fires are done in retaliation. Unfortunately 90 percent of the forest fire cases in the Margalla Hills are man-made.”
He added, “When national parks are protected, it affects the rights of local communities and in protest, these communities set the forests on fire. Tourists in Pakistan also do not work towards conserving the environment. They don’t put out fires properly after camping and often throw out cigarettes without stubbing them out.” He said there should be marked zones where people could light fires and other areas of the park should be protected.
“Regulated forest fires are beneficial for the ecosystem, as they help in regeneration but in developing countries, forest rangers do not get sufficient training to deal with such situations. There is a need for increased vigilance, stakeholder consultation, watch and ward system, establishment of fire extinguishing committees, incentivising the culmination of forest fires and offering livelihoods to the locals,” he said.
Tahir also suggested establishing a social mobilisation wing which could raise awareness on the importance of forests and their role in offering livelihoods and other benefits.
Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has also acknowledged the role of increased temperatures resulting into forest fires.
A prolonged dry spell, coupled with high temperatures, led to the drying up of grass in the Margalla Hills, which made it vulnerable to fire. Data provided by PMD has revealed that in May, the lowest minimum temperature was 15 degrees Celsius and according to historical records, the lowest minimum temperature for any May has been 9.6 degrees Celsius – a temperature difference of 5.4 degrees. Similarly, the lowest maximum temperature this year in May was 24 degrees Celsius, however, historically the lowest maximum temperature for any May has been 16.3 degrees Celsius – an exponential increase of 7.7 degrees. This signals that temperatures have increased and continue to do so – a clear indication of global warming.
World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan), Pakistan’s largest environmental organisation, confirmed that when the locals were not hired to control the forest fires, they started more in revenge. WWF-Pakistan also noted that after the establishment of IWMB, funds could not be transferred to hire locals, which became one of the reasons for the massive fires.
According to Ayesha Khan, CEO of Mountain and Glacier Protection Organization (MGPO) and executive director of the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change (CSCCC), “As South Asia is warms up rapidly, heat waves will also increase. Global warming is a huge factor (in Margalla Hills fires) but deliberate attempts by communities to damage trees in the MHNP and use it as a reason for cutting them down is also a factor.” She blamed the CDA for having “weak rules and regulations” and for failing to implement them.
“Response measures should be developed and a regular park ranger force needs to patrol the park to catch and curb fires in a timely manner. A park entry fee can generate revenue for better management. Awareness booths can raise awareness about civic responsibility. Civil society should be made part of CDA consultations and students should be invited to volunteer services.”
Forest fires have been an integral part of grassland, brush and forest ecosystems for as long as they have existed. Natural forest fires help regeneration by providing ideal growing conditions and stimulating new growth from seeds and roots. This provides a rich variety of habitats which support many species of insects, mammals and birds.
Setting grass on fire has been a regular practice for centuries since it ensures healthy growth of vegetation but these unprecedented fires show that time has changed. Pakistan is among the list of top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change and high climate vulnerability can also be a contributing factor in the increasing incidents of forest fires at MHNP
There is a need for integrating in-suit measurements and satellite imagery in assessing forest fires so that carbon emissions can be quantified. This can lead to implementation of effective mitigation plans. Furthermore, an operational remote sensing-based forest fire detection and monitoring system for the MHNP can help in timely intervention. By equipping it with an automated alert system, forest rangers and local communities can be mobilised in the national park for a quick response.
The locals should be made to realize that these forests provide them shelter, livelihoods, fuel wood, water and many other benefits.
The IWMB, CDA and other institutions should identify and bridge the policy and jurisdictional gaps. By hiring permanent staff to look after the hills and a fire control plan will be greatly useful. To make fire-fighting more effective, the NDMA, CDA and other agencies can share crews and equipment. A watch and ward system should be enhanced, especially in the summer, to keep an eye on people deliberately setting fires in the MHNP.
Syed Muhammad Abubakar writes on climate change, deforestation, food security and sustainable development. He tweets @SyedMAbubakar
