By Makhdoom
Shehryar Babar
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday called for concerted efforts by all segments of society to carry out extensive plantation in a bid to save the country from the horrendous effects of climate change.
In his message on the launch of the national monsoon tree plantation drive, he urged every citizen, particularly youth, to actively participate in the campaign by planting trees in residential areas, on roadsides, and near industrial zones.
President Alvi said Pakistan was the eighth country most vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change.
He mentioned that rising mercury levels were resulting in glacier melting and urban flooding. During the last 19 years, he said, Pakistan suffered around 173 incidents related to climate change besides the massive destruction this year as well. The president said as per international standards, a country required 25 percent forest cover, however, pointed out that Pakistan only had 4.8 percent of the green area according to a World Bank report.
He emphasized carrying out plantation at a large scale across the country and mentioned the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami as the largest such plantation project in the country’s history. Under the project, he said, 1.81 billion trees had been planted by June 2022. By 2023, around 3.29 billion trees will be planted.
President Alvi said 10,000 saplings were planted in the premises of the Aiwan-e-Sadr in 2021, while a Miyawaki forest was also raised at an area of 1.5 acres under the Green Presidency Initiative.
He expressed confidence that an increase in forest cover would help mitigate the effects of climate change in the country and would also control urban flooding. Also, the extensive plantation would result in the preservation of wildlife and flora and fauna in the country, he added.
Days earlier, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that climate change, water security and food security were three interconnected challenges and to cope with these issues, they would have to take immediate steps to save the future generations from their impacts.
He said that the government was fully cognizant of these problems and resolution of these issues was among the government’s top priorities.
The prime minister chaired a meeting of the federal cabinet at the Prime Minister’s House.
The cabinet was given a detailed briefing on the impacts of climate changes in the country.
Pakistan had been included among the top eight worst climate affected countries of the world during the last ten years which was a matter of grave concern whereas it had added only just 1 percent of emissions when compared with the rest of the world’s emissions which had aggravated the global warming impacts, it was told.
The climate changes had also badly affected the natural resources of Pakistan and the increase in population was one of the main reasons, it was added.
It was underlined that there was dire need for immediate implementation of ‘Mitigation and Adaptation” mechanism in this regard, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
It was suggested that a documentary highlighting awareness over issues confronted by Pakistan, and the steps taken to reverse climate change effects, and COP-27, might be presented at the global fora.
It was also emphasized upon the need for adoption of international level and the contemporary latest scientific measures. The cabinet agreed that duration of the public service messaging on TV channels should be effectively ensured to overcome these issues. Moreover, the issues of climate change and global warming should be included in the syllabus of schools and colleges besides, ensuring strict implementation of climate change policies.
