The Anatomy of State Failures The Anatomy of State Failures in Forest Management in in Forest Management in

PakistanPakistanByBy

Lubna HasanLubna HasanThe 23rd Annual General Meeting Of The PSDEThe 23rd Annual General Meeting Of The PSDE

March 14, 2008March 14, 2008

Deforestation in PakistanDeforestation in Pakistan

Pakistan faces serious problem of depletion of Pakistan faces serious problem of depletion of its forest reserves.its forest reserves.

Approximately 39000 ha of forest are being Approximately 39000 ha of forest are being cleared every yearcleared every year

Popular Perceptions about Popular Perceptions about DeforestationDeforestation

Over population Over population is the primary culpritis the primary culprit Imprudent behaviourImprudent behaviour of of people living close to people living close to

forestlandsforestlands Majority of forests are Majority of forests are

owned/controlled/managed by the owned/controlled/managed by the statestate Role of State in the Deforestation ProcessRole of State in the Deforestation Process

Theories Regarding Deforestation in Theories Regarding Deforestation in PakistanPakistan

The THED ascribes deteriorating The THED ascribes deteriorating environmental conditions of the Himalaya environmental conditions of the Himalaya region to the increasing population pressure in region to the increasing population pressure in the fragile mountain ecological environmentthe fragile mountain ecological environment

Wider socio-economic processes-urbanization Wider socio-economic processes-urbanization of the lowland areas and the corresponding of the lowland areas and the corresponding increase in the demand for timber, construction increase in the demand for timber, construction of roadsof roads

Theories Regarding Deforestation in Theories Regarding Deforestation in PakistanPakistan

Political economy approachPolitical economy approach Rent seeking activities of the communities Rent seeking activities of the communities

residing in/around the forests as a source of residing in/around the forests as a source of deforestationdeforestation

Failure of the government to establish a proper Failure of the government to establish a proper institutional set-up for forest managementinstitutional set-up for forest management

Unholy alliance between private forest Unholy alliance between private forest contractors and forest officials leading to contractors and forest officials leading to illegal logging activitiesillegal logging activities

Contemporary Approach toward Contemporary Approach toward DeforestationDeforestation

Multidimensional and complex processMultidimensional and complex process Distinguishes between direct and indirect Distinguishes between direct and indirect

causescauses Deforestation is seen as caused by institutional Deforestation is seen as caused by institutional

failures.failures.

Contemporary Thinking on Contemporary Thinking on Environmental ProblemsEnvironmental Problems

Government/State failures are the sum of Government/State failures are the sum of actions and/or failures to act which result in actions and/or failures to act which result in sub-optimal situationssub-optimal situations

State failures entail studying government State failures entail studying government actions that resulted in sub-optimal net actions that resulted in sub-optimal net benefits from the forestsbenefits from the forests

HypothesisHypothesis

The primary cause of deforestation in Pakistan The primary cause of deforestation in Pakistan is failure of state to establish a system that is failure of state to establish a system that would ensure proper exploitation of forest would ensure proper exploitation of forest resourcesresources

The government had complete disregard of the The government had complete disregard of the existing tenurial arrangements that governed existing tenurial arrangements that governed resource use arrangementsresource use arrangements

the process of government control over forests the process of government control over forests created a discordant structure of property created a discordant structure of property rightsrights

Government was pitted against the community Government was pitted against the community and social recognition of state property was and social recognition of state property was absent, which made forest management an absent, which made forest management an impossible taskimpossible task

Massive deforestation on part of the Massive deforestation on part of the government exacerbated the dwindling state of government exacerbated the dwindling state of public forestspublic forests

Yearly Average for the Period

Revenue Surplus Percentage

1869-70 to 1873-74 5.6 1.7 30 1879-80 to 1883-84 8.8 3.2 36 1889-90 to 1893-94 15.9 7.3 46 1899-1900 to 1903-04 19.7 8.4 43 1909-1910 to 1913-14 29.6 13.2 45 1919-1920 to 1923-24 55.2 18.5 34 1924 to 1925 56.7 21.3 38

Management failures placed forest contractors Management failures placed forest contractors in a comfortable alliance with the FD causing in a comfortable alliance with the FD causing excessive felling. excessive felling.

““The institutional weaknesses of many of the The institutional weaknesses of many of the Government agencies, particularly in developing Government agencies, particularly in developing countries, are well known. Very few technical and countries, are well known. Very few technical and managerial staff with limited implementation managerial staff with limited implementation equipment and facilities are asked to plan, manage equipment and facilities are asked to plan, manage and monitor developments in millions of hectares of and monitor developments in millions of hectares of forest resources often subject to a number of intense forest resources often subject to a number of intense external pressures… Forest resources are considered external pressures… Forest resources are considered as resources with "open access", with nobody as resources with "open access", with nobody exerting effective property rights on them”exerting effective property rights on them”

Resource Use and AvailabilityResource Use and Availability

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

^1993 ^1998 ^2003 ^2008 ^2013

Supplies from Forests

Total Wood Cons.

Legal ClassificationLegal Classification

others14%

Reserve34%

Communal18%

Guzara13%Section 38

1%

Protected20%

Causes of Forest Decline

Direct Underlying

Natural CausesHuman Activities

Agents

Market Failures Policy Interventions

Governance WeaknessSocio-economic