ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY

ISLAMABAD
Spring-2021
Online Exam Paper

Submitted By: Waheeda BIBI

Roll # cc532404

Reg # 01nna0518

Course Code: 4655

Course Title: Geography of Pakistan-I

Q 1. Describe the major advantages of forests. What are the important reasons that
forests in Pakistan are very less than the requirement?

Ans:

They help maintain oxygen levels in the atmosphere, facilitating the breathing of humans and
other animals. Forests help regulate the climate. They help the ground absorb during floods,
reducing soil loss and property damage by slowing the flow. ... Forests provide many important
natural medicines.

Forests have a bundle of advantages but only a few can be highlighted by a person living in an
urban area. Firstly, from an ecological point of view, they play a vital role in keeping the
environment clean as it is the only source of oxygen. We all know that without oxygen non
creation can survive. For wildlife it acts like a habitat. Forests also prevent soil erosion. Forests
also reduce the chances of floods. Big trees absorb excess water in rainy season thus reducing
floods and destruction.

Moreover, forests also contribute in improving a country’s economy, they attract tourism.
Almost 700 million international travellers visit Amazon Rainforest in South America every year
and the number is rapidly increasing. So if we are successful in reestablishing our forests we can
also have a large number of international travellers every year that will boost our economy.
Forests also provide employment opportunities because they are originating fruits. Good quality
fruits can also be exported which will increase foreign exchange.

1. They help us breathe.

2. Forests help in climate control.

3. They help the ground absorb during flood, reducing soil loss and property damage by slowing
the flow.

4. Forests are of economic importance to us. For example, plantation forests provide humans
with timber and wood, which is exported and used in all parts of the world.

5. Forests serve as a home (habitat) to millions of animals.

5. Forests help in regulation of ecosystems.

6. Forests reduce noise pollution.

7. Forests provide a wealth of natural medicines.

8. Forests helps in cooling the Earth's temperature.

9. The natural beauty and peace of the forest offer a special source of enjoyment.

10. Forests serve as employment to village people.

Environmental benefits

The environmental benefits of forests are numerous. Even urban forests, which include trees
planted along city streets and those growing in parks or nature preserves, help reduce air
pollution, filter rainwater and provide shade.

Most of Oregon’s municipal water systems rely on water from forested watersheds, where forest
soils provide natural filtration to keep streams clean and water quality high. Through
photosynthesis, the trees and plants in forests provide most of the oxygen that humans and
animals breathe. Forests also absorb and reduce the presence in the atmosphere of carbon
dioxide, a greenhouse gas and major contributor to climate change.

Social benefits

While forests have great value to society by providing clean water, fresh air, carbon storage and
timber, our forests are also valuable in other ways.

Oregon’s public forests, including forested parks, reserves and wilderness areas, are popular
destinations for outdoor recreation, with visitors partaking in everything from camping and
hiking to biking, swimming and fishing. The scenic beauty of the state’s forests attracts tourists
and new residents, and has inspired generations of artists and photographers.

Many seek out the tranquility of forests as places to find solace, stress relief or spiritual
sanctuary. The mental and physical benefits of exposure to nature are well documented for
people of all ages. And spending time in a natural setting such as a forest can be particularly
beneficial to children, for both learning and development.
Economic benefits

More than 61,000 Oregonians are employed in an array of jobs related to forests and wood
products. This includes positions in forestry, millwork, cabinetmaking, engineering, hydrology,
business management and academic research.

Economists estimate that each 1 million board feet of timber harvested in Oregon creates or
retains about 11 jobs in what is known as the “forest sector.” In 2019, the average annual wage
of such forest-related jobs was $56,500. This is 3 percent higher than the average wage of all
Oregon employment.

The forest sector is especially vital to many rural Oregon communities. In some rural counties,
the sector is responsible for nearly a third of the economic base.

Important Reasons That Forests in Pakistan Are Very Less Than The Requirement

Pakistan is also known for its forests, and about 4% of the country is covered with forests. The
forestry sector of Pakistan is the main source for lumber, paper, fuelwood, latex and medicines.
Forests also provide an environment for the conservation of wildlife.

According to FAO 2007, due to overexploitation deforestation is taking place at the rate of
0.75% per annum. The mean annual rate of deforestation of natural forests is 27,000 ha. This
information is stated according to the facts enlisted by the Landsat-based forest assessment. The
land occupied by forests in Pakistan has fallen from 3.28% in 1990 to 1.91% in 2015. Pakistan is
losing more trees as it exports wood and wood products around the world. The tree growth rate is
less than the current cutting rate at which they are being planted. However, the new government
is taking the precautionary measures to eradicate this issue of deforestation as they plan to plant
trees to ensure a better environment to live in. Over a period of 5 years, the new government of
Pakistan (PTI) has put forward a goal to plant more than 10 billion trees. This action will help to
minimize global warming and deforestation.
Q 2. Highlight the Mineral resources of Pakistan and explain their advantages for the
development of the country.

Ans:

Minerals

The exploration of Pakistan’s mineral wealth is far from complete, but some two dozen different
types of exploitable minerals have been located. Iron ore deposits are mostly of poor quality. The
most extensive known reserves are situated in the Kalabagh region, in western Punjab. Other
low-grade ore reserves have been found in Hazara, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Small reserves of
high-grade iron ore have been identified in Chitral and in the Chilghazi area (located in
northwestern Balochistan), as well as in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Deposits of copper ore equaling
or surpassing the reserves of iron ore have been found, but most sites remain unexploited. There
are enormous reserves of easily exploited limestone that form the basis of a
growing cement industry, a major component of the manufacturing sector. Other minerals that
are exploited include chromite (mostly for export), barite, celestine (strontium sulfate),
antimony, aragonite (calcium carbonate), gypsum, rock salt, and marble and granite.

Hydrocarbons and power

Pakistan has modest quantities of petroleum and some large natural gas fields. The first oil
discovery was made in 1915. Pakistan intensified the search for oil and natural gas in the 1980s
and was rewarded with the discovery of a number of new oil fields in the Potwar Plateau region
and in Sindh. A number of fields have been developed, particularly near Badin, in Sindh. Despite
the continued search for new and richer fields (including some offshore exploration and drilling),
Pakistan has had to import increasing amounts of oil from abroad to satisfy
growing consumption, making the country vulnerable to fluctuations in world oil markets. Most
imports take the form of crude oil, which is refined into various products. Pakistan’s refinery
capacity well exceeds its domestic crude production. The oil sector is regulated by the Ministry
of Petroleum and Natural Resources, and international oil companies are authorized to operate in
Pakistan in cooperation with domestic companies.

The largest natural gas deposits are at Sui (on the border between Balochistan and Punjab),

discovered in 1953. A smaller field, at Mari, in northeast Sindh province, was found in 1957. A
number of smaller natural gas fields subsequently have been discovered in various areas. A
network of gas pipelines links the fields with the main consumption
areas: Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, and Islamabad. Although proven reserves are large,
they have not kept pace with domestic consumption.

Coal mining is one of the country’s oldest industries. The quality of the coal is poor, and the
mines have been worked below capacity because of the difficulty of access; despite ample
reserves, the country regularly imports coal.

Although energy production has grown faster than the economy as a whole, it has not kept pace
with demand, and as a result there are shortages of fuel and electric power. The bulk of power
requirements are provided by thermal plants (coal, oil, and natural gas), with most of the
remainder provided by hydroelectric installations.

The generation, transmission, and distribution of power is the responsibility of the Pakistani

Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), a public-sector corporation. WAPDA lost
its monopoly over generation after Pakistan entered into an agreement in 1989 with
a consortium of foreign firms to produce power from giant oil-fired plants located at Hub, near
Karachi; the plants were completed in 1997.

Great progress, however, has been made in the development of the hydroelectric potential of
Pakistan’s rivers. A giant hydroelectric plant is in operation at the Mangla Dam, on the Jhelum
River in Azad Kashmir (the part of Kashmir under Pakistani administration). Another such
source is the giant Tarbela Dam, on the Indus River.

Pakistan has three nuclear power plants, the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (completed 1972), the
Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-1 (2000), and the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-2 (2011). The
Chashma plants are at Kundian, Punjab. Nuclear power provides only a tiny proportion of the
country’s total energy production.

Manufacturing

Mining and quarrying account for a small percentage of GDP and of total employment.
Manufacturing, however, constitutes a healthy proportion. The beginning of the main
industrialization effort dates to the cessation of trade between India and Pakistan in 1949, soon
after the two countries gained independence. Initially it was based on the processing of raw
agricultural materials for domestic consumption and for export. This led to the construction
of cotton textile mills—a development that now accounts for a large part of the total employment
in industry. Woolen textiles, sugar, paper, tobacco, and leather industries also provide many jobs
for the industrial labor force.

The growing trade deficit in the mid-1950s compelled the government to cut down on imports,
which encouraged the establishment of a number of import-substitution industries. At first these
factories produced mainly consumer goods, but gradually they came to produce intermediate
goods and a range of capital goods, including chemicals, fertilizers, and light engineering
products. Nevertheless, Pakistan still has to import a large proportion of the capital equipment
and raw materials required by industry. In the 1970s and early ’80s Pakistan set up
an integrated iron and steel mill at Pipri, near Karachi, with the financial and technical
assistance of the Soviet Union. A new port, Port Qasim (officially Port Muhammad Bin Qasim),
was built to bring iron ore and coal for the mill.

Initially Karachi was the center of Pakistan’s industrialization effort, but in the late 1960s and
early ’70s Lahore and the cities around it began to industrialize rapidly. Karachi’s ethnic
problems in the late 1980s and early ’90s accelerated this process, and Punjab increasingly
became Karachi’s competitor in industrial output.

Major manufactured products include jute and cotton textiles, cement, vegetable ghee, cigarettes,
and bicycles. Although the country still imports most of its motor vehicles, some Pakistani firms
have entered into contracts with foreign companies to produce automobiles, motorcycles, and
industrial tractors domestically.

The presence of mineral resources help a country's economy in a number of ways.

1. When the government advertises the presence of minerals and gives incentives for its
excavation, it attracts a number of investors and companies who set up there industries.
This leads to economic generation by the investors.

2. Employment opportunities spring up and many people find jobs which overcomes
unemployment and reduces the rate of money based murders and theft and encourages a
good lifestyle as now the workers start earning money.
3. Different industries based upon the minerals spring up and the raw material or the
minerals excavated are used and thus more and cheap products are produced. this is
economically benefiting.

4. Due to these industrial outputs there is a positive flow foreign exchange in the country.

5. GDP and BOP are established.

Q 3. Describe the different means of irrigation in Pakistan and explain the issues faced
by the farmers of the country?

Ans:

Irrigation is the man-made supply of water to the land to encourage vegetation. It is a substitute
for inadequate or erratic rainfall and is extremely essential for arid regions where there are no
rivers and also in humid regions to improve crop output. In Pakistan, 75% of the agricultural land
is under irrigation. Three major water sources in Pakistan are rain water, ground water and rivers.

Irrigation system is not something new. Since olden days, people had devised various methods to
water their fields. Some traditional methods of irrigation are Persian Wheel, Charsa and Shaduf.
Karez is another traditional irrigation system practiced in Baluchistan only. Karez is a horizontal
canal located mainly on the foot hills and it brings the under ground water to the surface. Modern
advancements in the irrigation system are the perennial canals and tube wells.

Pakistan is basically a dry country with the River Indus and its tributaries being the main source
of water supply. Dams both large and small and barrages have been built on the Indus and its
tributaries. Large dams such as Tarbela Dam and Mangla Dam are multipurpose projects which
not only store water, irrigate lands but also generate hydro electricity. Small dams like Khanpur
Dam, Rawal Dam and Hub Dam supply water for agriculture, industrial and domestic purpose
and act as a reservoir as well. A hilly terrain is required to build a dam. Barrages on the other
hand are built on flat surfaces they also supply water for irrigation purpose and industrial and
domestic use. Some barrages are Sukkur Barrage, Guddu Barrage, Kotri Barrage, and Chashma
Barrage.

Canals are taken out from rivers, dams and barrages. Pakistan has one of the largest canal
irrigation systems in the world. The Inundation canals are taken from rivers and they receive
water only when the water level in the rivers is high such as during floods. The perennial canals
are taken from dams and barrages and supply water to the fields through out the year. In Pakistan
there are 3 large dams, 85 small dams, 19 barrages, 12 inter link canals, 45 canals and 0.7 million
tube wells to meet the commercial, domestic and irrigational needs of the country.
Types of Irrigation Systems

There are many different types of irrigation systems, depending on how the water is distributed
throughout the field. Some common types of irrigation systems include:

Surface irrigation

Water is distributed over and across land by gravity, no mechanical pump involved.

Localized irrigation

Water is distributed under low pressure, through a piped network and applied to each plant.

Drip irrigation

A type of localized irrigation in which drops of water are delivered at or near the root of plants.
In this type of irrigation, evaporation and runoff are minimized.

Sprinkler irrigation

Water is distributed by overhead high-pressure sprinklers or guns from a central location in the
field or from sprinklers on moving platforms.

Center pivot irrigation

Water is distributed by a system of sprinklers that move on wheeled towers in a circular pattern.
This system is common in flat areas of the United States.

Lateral move irrigation

Water is distributed through a series of pipes, each with a wheel and a set of sprinklers, which
are rotated either by hand or with a purpose-built mechanism. The sprinklers move a certain
distance across the field and then need to have the water hose reconnected for the next distance.
This system tends to be less expensive but requires more labor than others.

Sub-irrigation

Water is distributed across land by raising the water table, through a system of pumping stations,
canals, gates, and ditches. This type of irrigation is most effective in areas with high water tables.
Manual irrigation

Water is distributed across land through manual labor and watering cans. This system is very
labor intensive.

PROBLEMS OF AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

1)      Limited Cultivable Area

The total area of Pakistan is about 79.6 million hectares, out of which only 23.7 million hectares
(28%) area is used for agricultural purposes. About 8 million hectares area is idle and un-
utilized. There is vast sub-division and fragmentation of land holdings, as a result modern
technology cannot be applied in agriculture sector.

2)      Water Logging and Salinity

Water logging and salinity are twin problems of agricultural sector due to salinity, deposits of
salt in land have appeared on the surface of land and they have adversely affected the
performance of agricultural sector. Water logging and salinity affect about 0.10 million acre of
land in every year. It is not only waste of land but also reduction in productivity.

3)      Slow Growth of Allied Products

Allied products refer to those productions, which are not agricultural but indirectly, help the
farmer to improve his living standard. Pakistan is in-sufficient in the production of fruits, milk,
poultry, fisheries, livestock and forestry. As a result not only our food quality is poor but also
industries such as furniture, textiles and dairy cannot be developed.

4)      Low Per Hectare Yield

The most important problem of agriculture is its low yield per hectare for almost every major
crop. 45.0% of labour force is engaged in this sector in Pakistan while it is less than 5% in
developed countries. But, other countries of world are getting higher yield per hectare due to use
of modern technology and trained labour.

5)      Inadequate Infrastructure

Rural infrastructure like, roads, storage facilities, transport, electricity, education, sanitation and
health facilities etc. is inadequate to meet the requirement of growth of agriculture. Total length
of farm-to-market road is not only shorter but their condition is also poor. Many villages have no
metal-led road at all. Electricity is available to only 3/4 rural populations.

6)      Uneconomic Land Holdings

Due to increasing population and division of land under the law of inheritance, landholdings are
subdivided over and over again. The result is that very large number of farmers has less than 2
hectares of area. Moreover holdings are scattered. It is difficult to use modern machinery on
small pieces of land.

7)      Old Methods of Production

No doubt, mechanization of agriculture is increasing in Pakistan, but in most of the areas, the old
implements are still being used for agricultural production. Old and orthodox techniques of
production cannot increase the production according to international levels.

8)      Inadequate Supply of Agricultural Inputs

The supply of modern inputs like high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers,
pesticides, mechanized machinery etc. not only costly but also inadequate and irregular in
Pakistan. Numbers of fertilizer producing units are just 10 in Pakistan.

9)      Lack of Irrigation Facilities

Shortage of irrigation facilities causes a serious limitation in the expansion of crop area in
Pakistan. The lower water supplies, loses from water course in the fields are the serious problems
of farm sector. Actual surface water availability is 91.8 million acre feet.

10)  Inadequate Agricultural Research

The average crop yield in Pakistan is very low as compared to the production levels of the
advanced countries of the world. In order to raise the potential of agricultural production, there
should be continuous improvement in the research for agricultural growth. Total agricultural
universities and colleges are only 16 in Pakistan.
NATURAL PROBLEMS

 Various Plant Diseases

Various agricultural crops like cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, wheat and rice often come under
attack of pests and insects. Pests and plant diseases reduce the annual productivity of agriculture.

Natural Calamities

Labour is in the hand of mankind but its result is in the hands of ALLAH in agriculture sector.
So, growth of agriculture is dominated by nature. In case if there is too much rain, reduction in
the productivity. There is 20% reduction in productivity due to unnecessary rain and unfavorable
climatic situations in Pakistan.

Scarcity of HYV Seeds

Our poor farmers have to use lower quality seeds due to non-availability of High Yielding
Variety (HYV) seeds. On the other hand, if seed is available they cannot be purchased due to low
income. Agricultural production is badly affected because of inferior quality of seeds.

Under Utilization of Land

Mostly poor population is attached with agricultural sector in Pakistan. They are using orthodox
and traditional means of cultivation. Our farmer is not interested to use the advanced and modern
means of farming, as a result area under cultivation remains under utilized, un-utilized or mis-
utilized.