Pakistan

Pakistan is located in South Asia and occupies a strategic position between the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is bordered by India to the east, Afghanistan and Iran to the west, China to the north, and the Arabian Sea to the south. Covering approximately 881,900 square kilometers, Pakistan has a highly varied physical geography that includes the Indus River plain, arid plateaus and deserts, coastal areas, and some of the world’s highest mountain ranges. The northern regions contain parts of the Karakoram Range and the Himalayas, including K2, while the west is dominated by the Balochistan Plateau. 

The Indus River and its tributaries form the country’s most important river system and create a vast alluvial plain that supports the majority of agricultural production. Pakistan’s climate ranges from humid subtropical conditions in parts of the northeast to arid and semi-arid conditions across much of the country, with strong seasonal influences from the South Asian monsoon.

Agriculture is a cornerstone of Pakistan’s economy and a major source of employment, particularly in rural areas. The sector is heavily dependent on irrigation, and Pakistan possesses one of the world’s largest contiguous irrigation systems based on the Indus River network. Wheat is the principal staple crop and occupies the largest cultivated area. Other major crops include rice, cotton, sugarcane, maize, and pulses. Cotton is especially important as a cash crop because it supports the country’s large textile industry. Rice production, including premium varieties such as Basmati, is concentrated in the irrigated plains of Punjab and Sindh. Fruit and vegetable cultivation is also significant, with major products including mangoes, citrus fruits, dates, guavas, apples, apricots, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes. Livestock farming is a major component of the agricultural sector and contributes a substantial share of agricultural value added. Cattle, buffaloes, goats, sheep, and poultry are raised throughout the country, providing meat, milk, wool, hides, and draft power.

Forestry resources in Pakistan are relatively limited compared with the country’s size, with forests concentrated mainly in the northern mountains, foothills, riverine areas, and coastal zones. Major forest types include coniferous forests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir; scrub forests in semi-arid regions; riverine forests along the Indus floodplain; and mangrove forests in the Indus Delta. Important tree species include deodar cedar, pine, fir, spruce, oak, and acacia. Forests provide timber, fuelwood, watershed protection, biodiversity conservation, and recreational value. However, deforestation, illegal logging, overgrazing, fuelwood demand, and land conversion have reduced forest cover in many areas. The Indus Delta mangroves, among the largest arid-zone mangrove ecosystems in the world, are particularly important for coastal protection and fisheries but face pressure from reduced freshwater flows, pollution, and development. Reforestation initiatives, including large-scale tree-planting programs, have been implemented to restore degraded landscapes and improve environmental resilience.

The fishery sector contributes to food security, employment, and export earnings. Pakistan has a coastline of roughly 1,000 kilometers along the Arabian Sea, including the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan. Marine fisheries harvest species such as shrimp, tuna, mackerel, sardines, pomfret, and cuttlefish, while inland fisheries operate in rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and irrigation canals throughout the country. The Indus River system supports important freshwater fisheries, including carp and catfish species. Artisanal fishing remains the dominant livelihood in many coastal communities, though commercial fleets and fish-processing industries also operate from ports such as Karachi and Gwadar
. Aquaculture, especially carp farming and more recently shrimp culture, has expanded in response to growing demand. Nevertheless, the sector faces challenges including overfishing, pollution, habitat degradation, inadequate cold-chain infrastructure, and climate-related impacts on coastal and river ecosystems.

Overall, Pakistan’s geography—dominated by the Indus basin, extensive irrigated plains, high mountain watersheds, arid plateaus, and coastal ecosystems—creates a diverse resource base for agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. These sectors remain fundamental to livelihoods, food security, and economic development. Sustainable management of water resources, soils, forests, mangroves, and aquatic ecosystems is increasingly important as the country confronts population growth, environmental degradation, glacier change, and climate variability.

In 2023 Gerold, Klaudia and Daniel Neuhoff spent one week in Pakistan, invited by the Pakistani Organic Association. We gave many talks and have seen very much: from Islamabad till Multan: research institutions, people, farmers, rural, urban, ... The host gave very much efforts to make all smart and easy. The image of the country in the world was aware for them, and they did not like it. In 2025 Gerold was a day in Peshawar.