Daily Times

Ministry of Climate Change organised an inauguration ceremony of Monsoon Tree Plantation drive 2018 in Islamabad under the Green Pakistan Programme at trail 5 near camp office of Islamabad Wildlife Management Board.

Federal Minister for Climate Change Muhammad Yousaf Sheikh inaugurated the Monsoon Plantation drive by planting a tree.

While addressing the guests, he said Pakistan is a forest deficient country having 5.01 percent of its total area under forest cover.

“Our forests are unique and have diverse ecological systems that provide timbre, fuel wood and a variety of non timber products such as medicine and aromatic plants, wild fruit and barriers. In addition to these products our forests also provide environmental and ecological services such as carbon sequestration, water regulation, soil fertility regulation and habitat for biodiversity. Due to a multitude of direct and indirect factors such as increasing population, limited alternative options, exploitation, lack of capacity and natural man-made hazards our forest resources are continually depleting,” Climate Change Minister Muhammad Yousaf Sheikh said.

He further said plantation is not only necessary for the provision of ecosystem services but also as mitigation and adaptation measures to counter the negative impacts of climate change.

He further highlighted in order to respond to these issues, large-scale efforts have been made at the national and provincial level to rehabilitate the forest resources through Green Pakistan Programme and Billion Tree afforestation project. However, there is still need for more coordinated and concerted efforts by all segments of the society to halt the ongoing deforestation and improvement in the forest cover by raising more plantations. Today’s event is a step in the direction.

Published in Daily Times, August 10^th 2018.