POPULATION DYNAMICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERTURBATION IN SALT RANGE, MIANWALI, PAKISTAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/eijaer.v10i1.94Keywords:
Salt Range, topographical, Population growth, biodiversity, economicmodelsAbstract
The Salt Range in Mianwali, Pakistan, faces imminent threats due to unregulated mining, posing a significant risk to its rich biodiversity and demanding a transition towards sustainable economic models. The convergence of environmental, economic, and geographical forces necessitates comprehensive management strategies to address changes in topography and hydrology. Climate change intensifies challenges, underscoring the urgency of adopting sustainable practices. Collaborative efforts, as evidenced by scholarly studies, are vital for the holistic preservation of the Salt Range's interconnected dynamics. Utilizing Landsat imagery and diverse data sources, our analysis emphasizes the evolving landscape, demonstrating the importance of informed decision- making for long-term regional resilience. Examining Land Surface Temperature, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, slope, elevation, population, and economic data provides a nuanced understanding of Mianwali's complex dynamics, highlighting the interdependence of environmental, social, and economic factors. Elevation influences ecosystems, weather patterns, and biodiversity, while diverse soil types underscore the delicate balance between natural resources and human activities. Variations in slope impact vegetation and temperature, emphasizing the need for topographical considerations in land-use planning. Alarming temperature trends and changing NDVI patterns reflect broader climate change concerns and underscore the role of informed decision-making for sustainable resource management. Population growth, gender distribution, and urbanization trends raise questions about demographic shifts and their implications. Mineral resource distribution and the number of miners highlight the economic significance of various minerals, emphasizing their role in supporting local and global industries. This holistic understanding is essential for informed decision-making, sustainable resource management, and the preservation of Mianwali's unique natural heritage.
References
. Abbas, S., & Mayo, Z. A. (2021). Impact of temperature and rainfall on rice production in Punjab, Pakistan.
Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23(2), 1706-1728.
. Abbas, S., Shirazi, S. A., Mazhar, N., Mahmood, K., & Khan, A. A. (2021). Spatial and Temporal Variationsof
Temperature in the Punjab Province, Pakistan. International Journal of Economic and
. Environmental Geology, 12(1), 67-75.Volume-10 | Issue-1 | January 2024 20
. Ahmed, T., Zounemat-Kermani, M., & Scholz, M. (2020). Climate change, water quality and water-related
challenges: a review with focus on Pakistan. International Journal of Environmental Research andPublic Health,
(22), 8518.
. Alves, E. D. L. (2016). Seasonal and spatial variation of surface urban heat island intensity in a smallurban
agglomerate in Brazil. Climate, 4(4), 61.
. Cheng, C.-H., Nnadi, F., & Liou, Y.-A. (2015). A regional land use drought index for Florida. RemoteSensing, 7(12),
-17167.
. de la Iglesia Martinez, A., & Labib, S. (2023). Demystifying normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)for
greenness exposure assessments and policy interventions in urban greening. Environmental Research, 220, 115155.
. Ghous, M., & Siddiqui, S. (2022). 47 c Assessment of Willingness to Pay for Sustainable Ecotourism
. Development in the Salt Range Wetlands, Punjab Pakistan. International Journal of Economic andEnvironmental
Geology, 13(2), 47-51.
. Guo, A., Yang, J., Sun, W., Xiao, X., Cecilia, J. X., Jin, C., & Li, X. (2020). Impact of urban morphology and
landscape characteristics on spatiotemporal heterogeneity of land surface temperature.
. Sustainable Cities and Society, 63, 102443.
. Khan, M., Chaudhry, M. N., Ahmad, S. R., & Saif, S. (2020). The role of and challenges facing non-governmental
organizations in the environmental impact assessment process in Punjab,Pakistan. Impact Assessment and Project
Appraisal, 38(1), 57-70.
. Khan, N. U., Zhongyi, P., Ullah, A., & Mumtaz, M. (2023). A comprehensive evaluation of sustainablemineral
resources governance in Pakistan: An analysis of challenges and reforms. ResourcesPolicy, 88, 104383.
. Khan, U., Janjuhah, H. T., Kontakiotis, G., Rehman, A., & Zarkogiannis, S. D. (2021). Natural processes and
anthropogenic activity in the Indus river sedimentary environment in Pakistan: A critical review.Journal of Marine
Science and Engineering, 9(10), 1109.
. Majeed, M., Tariq, A., Haq, S. M., Waheed, M., Anwar, M. M., Li, Q., . . . Jamil, A. (2022). A detailedecological
exploration of the distribution patterns of wild Poaceae from the Jhelum District(Punjab), Pakistan. Sustainability,
(7), 3786.
. Naseem, S., Fu, G. L., Mohsin, M., Rehman, M. Z.-u., & Baig, S. A. (2020). Semi-quantitative environmental impact
assessment of khewra salt mine of Pakistan: an application of
. mathematical approach of environmental sustainability. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, 37,1185-1196.
. Pettorelli, N., Vik, J. O., Mysterud, A., Gaillard, J.-M., Tucker, C. J., & Stenseth, N. C. (2005). Using the
. satellite-derived NDVI to assess ecological responses to environmental change. Trends in ecology& evolution, 20(9),
-510.
. Salim, A., Kashif, M., Dou, B., Khan, D., Jawad Munawar, M., Ahmed, N., . . . Tariq, M. (2022).
. Sedimentology and diagenesis control on reservoir quality of Sheikhan Limestone (Eocene) at the Panoba and
Sheikhan Nala Section, Kohat Basin, Pakistan. Carbonates and Evaporites, 37(4),64.
. Shokat, S., & Großkinsky, D. K. (2019). Tackling salinity in sustainable agriculture—What developingcountries may
learn from approaches of the developed world. Sustainability, 11(17), 4558.
. Umar, M., Kassi, A. M., Jamil, M., Kasi, A. K., & Khan, A. S. (2023). Cretaceous stratigraphic frameworkand
sedimentary architecture, Pakistan: signatures of rift-drift tectonics and submarine
. volcanism along the western continental margin of the Indian Plate. Geological Society, London,Special Publications,
(1), SP544-2023-2074.
. Wang, Q., Moreno-Martínez, Á., Muñoz-Marí, J., Campos-Taberner, M., & Camps-Valls, G. (2023).
. Estimation of vegetation traits with kernel NDVI. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and RemoteSensing, 195, 408-
. Xu, Y., Yang, Y., Chen, X., & Liu, Y. (2022). Bibliometric analysis of global NDVI research trends from 1985to 2021.
Remote Sensing, 14(16), 3967.
. Yan, J., Zhang, G., Ling, H., & Han, F. (2022). Comparison of time-integrated NDVI and annual maximumNDVI for
assessing grassland dynamics. Ecological Indicators, 136, 108611.
. Yaseen, M., Naseem, A. A., Ahmad, J., Mehmood, M., & Anjum, M. N. (2021). Integrated approach forinventories
and quantitative assessment of geological and paleontological sites from
. Precambrian to quaternary successions in the Salt Range, Pakistan. Geoheritage, 13(2), 31.
. Zainab, N., Mehmood, S., Shafiq-ur-Rehman, A., Munir, A., Tanveer, Z. I., Nisa, Z. U., . . . Chaudhary, H. J. (2023).
Health risk assessment and bioaccumulation of potentially toxic metals from water, soil,and forages near coal mines
of district Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan. Environmental Geochemistryand Health, 1-26.
