Monsoon Tree Plantation To Conclude By September 5

Fakhir Rizvi Published August 15, 2018 | 08:54 PM

The government has set a target of planting 47.14 million plants during the current monsoon season which would be completed on September, 15.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Aug, 2018 ) :The government has set a target of planting 47.14 million plants during the current monsoon season which would be completed on September, 15.

Talking to APP, Director Media Communication Ministry of Climate Change, Muhammad Saleem here on Wednesday stressed to focus more on areas having less forest cover.

It was also very important to increase survival rate of plants through protection and care, he added.

Pakistan was a forest deficient country having 5.01 percent of its total area under forest cover.

"Our forests possess unique and 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, the forests also provide environmental and ecological services such as carbon sequestration, water regulation, soil fertility regulation and habitat for biodiversity, Saleem said.

"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", he remarked.

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

National Project Director of Green Pakistan Program, Masood Ali has briefed about Monsoon plantation targets 2018.

According to the set target Punjab will plant 9 million plants, Sindh 11 million, KPK 15 million, Baluchistan 0.6 million, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 3.6 million, Gilgit Baltistan 0.5 million, the areas previously under FATA 5.3 million, National Highway Authority 0.5 million, International Union of Conservation of Nature 0.5 million, Pakistan Ordinance Factory 20 thousand, Ministry of Defense 1 million, Aeronautical complex 20 thousand and heavy industries Taxila set the target of one lac, he added.