Forest Resource Assessment, National Center of GIS and Space Applications

12/08/2026

21/07/2026

📢 New Publication Alert!
Department of Forestry & Wildlife Management, The University of Haripur, and
The Forest Resource Assessment Section of G-SAG Lab, National Center of GIS and Space Applications (NCGSA)
Alhamdulillah, we are happy to announce the publication of our latest paper in Earth Systems and Environment (Springer Nature, IF: 5.0, Q1):
📖 "A Climate-Smart Framework for Olive Plantation Expansion in Pakistan: GIS and AHP-Based Land Suitability Modeling" ✍️ Faisal Khalid, Sami Ullah*, Muhammad Shafique, Majid Hussain 🔗 Read the full paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41748-026-01316-y
🫒 Key Takeaways:
• Developed Pakistan’s first national-scale GIS-AHP olive suitability map integrating 10 environmental & soil factors.
• Identified 35.8 million hectares (37%) of highly suitable land, particularly across the Potohar Plateau and Balochistan uplands.
• Validated with 89% accuracy across 60 ground-truth orchard sites.
• Shows that expansion can occur without competing with existing staple croplands.
A big thank you to my co-authors, especially to my ex-PhD students Dr. Faisal Khalid and all associated departments. 🌿

Cultivation-based land suitability has gained much attention to achieve sustainability in agroforestry in the face of a changing climate, increasing rate of population growth, and shrinking arable lands with continued urbanization. The olive tree or shrub is an evergreen tree and has been of immense...

11/06/2026

Official Announcement

To Our Brilliant Students, Respected University Fellows, Forest Lovers of Pakistan, and forthcoming Inspiring Young Minds

We are proud to announce a historic milestone: the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management at The University of Haripur has officially achieved the prestigious 'W' Category Accreditation from the National Agriculture Education Accreditation Council (NAEAC) of Pakistan—making us the first and only forestry and wildlife department in Pakistan to reach this highest tier of academic recognition. This achievement reflects our rigorous academic standards, our team's hard work, our students' advanced research culture, and our commitment to a greener, more sustainable Pakistan and planet.

A key pillar of this success is our former Chairman, Professor Dr. Syed Muhammad Nizami, whose visionary leadership laid the foundation for the department's excellence today. We proudly honour his legacy as he now leads the nation at the highest level as the Inspector General of Forests (IGF) of Pakistan—proof that the work done here at the University of Haripur shapes the future of the entire country.

Building upon that extraordinary legacy, and in my current role as Chairman of this department, I am honoured to lead our next chapter—one defined by innovation, technology, and global ambition. We are advancing forestry and wildlife management into the digital age. Our department is now at the forefront of Digital Forestry and Wildlife Management, integrating cutting-edge technologies, including

🛰️ Satellite Remote Sensing — for large-scale forest monitoring and land cover analysis
🚁 UAV / Drone Technology — for precision forests, wildlife surveys, and habitat mapping
🌡️ Thermal Drones with Deep Learning Algorithms — for automated wildlife detection, identification, and population counting with AI-powered precision
📸 Camera Trapping Systems — for non-invasive wildlife detection, species identification, and behavioural monitoring across forest landscapes
🔊 Bioacoustic Sound Detection — for passive wildlife monitoring through AI-driven analysis of animal calls, species presence, and biodiversity assessment
📡 Ground-Based Sensor Networks — for real-time ecosystem monitoring and environmental data collection
🤖 Geo-AI Tools — for intelligent spatial analysis, predictive modelling, and conservation decision-making

These tools are not just academic — they are weapons of conservation. We are deploying them for the protection and sustainable management of Pakistan's natural resources and contributing to global environmental solutions. Please note that many of them are happening for the first time in Pakistan.
In keeping with this bold vision, we are excited to announce the admission soon for the following programs:

🎓 BS (Hons) Forestry and Wildlife Management — for young minds ready to begin their journey
🔬 M.Phil/PhD Forestry and Wildlife Management — for advanced specialization and field research
🌐 Digital Forestry Programmes (Forthcoming) — pioneering new frontiers in satellite, drone, AI, and bioacoustic-driven conservation science.

📣 Admissions are not yet open—but will be opening very soon. We encourage all prospective students, from Pakistan and across the world, to stay connected and be ready. Watch this space.
And for the first time, we will be opening our doors beyond Pakistan — welcoming talented students from across the globe to study, research, and innovate with us. If you are passionate about forests, wildlife, and the planet's future, the University of Haripur will be your home.

Let's keep breeding excellence, pushing boundaries, and protecting our planet—together.

🌿 Stay tuned. Join a legacy. Lead the future.

Warm Regards,
Dr. rer.nat. Sami Ullah Dawar
Chairman, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management
The University of Haripur, Pakistan

22/03/2026

Eid 🌙 Eid Mubarak! 🌳, Happy International World Forest Day
On this blessed occasion of Eid ul-Fitr and the International Day of Forests, I extend my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to the entire forest community of Pakistan and beyond.
May this joyous festival bring peace, prosperity, and happiness, and may our collective efforts on this World Forest Day lead to sustainable management, conservation, and growth of our precious forest resources.
🌱 In the spirit of both celebration and responsibility towards nature, I am pleased to share that the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, The University of Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is proudly releasing a valuable digital initiative:
🌳 Pakistan Forest Trees Carbon Calculator
This web-based platform provides free access to researchers, students, professionals, and stakeholders to estimate forest biomass and carbon stock using scientifically developed allometric equations.
This initiative highlights that forests are not only vital for ecological balance but also contribute to the economy through emerging opportunities such as carbon credits and climate finance.
🔗 Access the tool here:
https://samidawar.github.io/Department-of-Forestry-and-Wildlife-Management/

We are sincerely thankful to Dr. Moazzam Nizami (IGF), Muhammad Afra Siyab (AIGF)-the Ministry of Climate, for their valuable support in providing the missing allometric equations for Pakistan’s tree species.
✨ Wishing you all a joyful Eid filled with blessings and a greener, more sustainable future.
Eid Mubarak once again!
Dr. Sami Ullah
Chairman
Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management
The University of Haripur
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Co-PI of Forest Resource Assessment Section
G-SAG LAB of NCGSA.

The Pakistan Forest Trees Carbon Calculator is based on tree species-specific allometric equations developed by Dr. Sami Ullah (Dr.rer.nat.), Associate Professor of Digital Forestry and Chairman, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, The University of Haripur, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

19/01/2026

20/09/2025

09/07/2025

Unlock Vegetation Insights with Remote Sensing 🌍🌱

From crop performance to forest change detection, vegetation indices help convert satellite imagery into clear, actionable insights.
Here are 8 essential indices every analyst should know:

✅ NDVI – The go-to for general vegetation health
✅ EVI – Tackles dense canopies and atmospheric effects
✅ GNDVI – Sensitive to early stress and chlorophyll levels
✅ NDRE – Ideal for deeper canopy and nitrogen monitoring
✅ NDMI – Tracks vegetation moisture conditions
✅ MSAVI – Tailored for semi-arid, soil-heavy regions
✅ VARI – Works with standard RGB imagery (great for drones)
✅ SATVI – Suited for drylands and post-fire assessment

🛰 Apply these tools in Google Earth Engine, QGIS, or Python to detect trends, monitor vegetation change, and support smarter land decisions.

Turn pixels into knowledge. Turn knowledge into impact. 🌾