Forest cover in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) mountains of northern Pakistan has changed dramatically due to community dynamics such as population growth, household dynamics, and intensive economic activity for people’s livelihoods. Demographic development is one of the major factors influencing forest cover change in a previously sparsely populated environment. An abrupt upsurge in population exerts adverse effects on the local natural resources, specifically forests. The present research shows an increase in population from 1980 to 2017, the development of human settlements, and a long-term decline in forest cover. This study was conducted in the Palas valley in the HKH mountains using GIS and remote sensing (RS) technology. Analysis of the changes between 1980, 2000, and 2017 was done using ArcGIS and the maximum likelihood algorithm for supervised classification of Landsat MSS TM ETM+ and Sentinel 2A satellite images. We used Euclidean distances and buffer analysis techniques to identify that most changes occurred within 1 to 3 km of the settlement’s proximity in each period. We also found changes in forest cover to be much greater near settlements than elsewhere in the study area. According to the findings of the study, population explosion and other socio-economic factors have imposed excessive pressure on vegetation cover, resulting in the loss of 17,076 ha of forests in the remote Palas valley.

Mountain agriculture is the linchpin of the economy in Pakistan's Hindu Kush Karakoram and Himalaya mountain regions. Currently, mountain agriculture is in a state of transition, experiencing rapid changes and innovation due to physical and anthropogenic drivers, resulting in far-reaching consequences on the livelihood sustainability and food security of the local people. This study explores the multifaceted drivers of agricultural transformation in the Eastern Hindu Kush region, specifically in Lotkuh Valley, Pakistan, focusing on the intricate relationship between resilience-building measures and the adoption of innovative agricultural practices. For this purpose, data were explored from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected using stratified sampling techniques during extensive field surveys conducted in the study area from 2017 to 2019. Remotely sensed data from 1990 to 2019 were obtained from the USGS site. Secondary data were acquired from the Gazetteer of Chitral 1928, Census Report 1961-2017, and Rural Settlement Report 1988. The collected data have been analyzed through descriptive analysis and advanced geospatial techniques. The findings reveal that vivid changes and transformations have occurred in mountain agriculture. These transformations include land use/cover changes, agricultural land holdings, cropping patterns, livestock populations, arboriculture, etc. From the findings of this study, it is inferred that innovation in mountain agriculture entails a variety of opportunities and has increased agricultural production, resulting in a positive impact on the economy, food security, and livelihood sustainability. This study provides nuanced knowledge and insights for policymakers, mountain agriculturists, and practitioners to effectively develop sophisticated strategies for achieving the ambitious goal of zero hunger and poverty eradication.

The aim of this chapter is to explore the dynamics of forest cover changes in Indus Kohistan Palas valley, Hindu Kush-Himalayan mountain of Pakistan. The impacts of population growth, accessibility and management and mechanism of forest cover are a challenging research area, and this research will help to explore the relationship between forest cover by rapid population growth and expansion of the road networks. In the study area, increase in population, roads and their expansion has engulfed forest land, and the subsequent infrastructural development has caused deforestation. The direct and indirect influences of forest cover change on human and environment have also been underlined in this chapter. Forest cover in Hindu Kush-Himalayan Mountains experienced a dramatic change due to intensive human activities, such as population growth, proximate causes, accessibility, unstable political situations, failure of government policies and poverty. In this study, we have used remote sensing techniques and trajectory to detect forest cover dynamics. Changes in forest cover were found out by classifying the time-series satellite images Landsat MSS, TM, ETM+ and Sentinel 2A. The images were classified, and change detection maps were prepared for each period. Then impact of population growth and accessibility on forest cover was discovered by the Buffer analysis technique. The primary data were collected through focused group discussions, interviews and ground verification. Population data were collected from census reports of district Kohistan, Pakistan, and road network data were collected from Communication and Works Department, Kohistan. Satellite imageries were obtained from United State Geological Survey, Global Land Cover Facility websites and classified in ERDAS imagine 2014 and ESRI ArcGIS 10.2.1 using supervised classification-maximum likelihood algorithm. The analysis revealed that a substantial reduction in forest cover has taken place, and on the average, more than 460 hectares of forest cover have been converted into other uses annually from 1980 to 2017.