Staff Reporter Peshawar
Forests plants were distributed among local people in Kalash Valley Bumburate under ‘Project Reversing Deforestation and Degradation in High Conservation Value Chilgoza Pine Forests in Pakistan’ initiative.
This project is jointly launched by Ministry of Climate Change, Food and Agriculture Organization FAO with support by GEF, says a press release issued here on Sunday.
Ministry of Climate Change provides strategic and policy support for the smooth implementation of the project.
Speaking on the occasion, Ajaz Ahmad, Provincial Coordinator Chilghoza Forest said that the objective of this campaign is to improve Local livelihoods through increasing productivity and enhanced services and functions of the Chilgoza ecosystem in the selected valleys.
He also said that the distributed plants include indigenous multipurpose fast trees which will be used as agro forestry, farm forestry and plantations on degraded sites by the local people/farmers by their self.
The Chilghoza Forest Protection & Conservation committees formed in the valley are playing their vital role in facilitating the local people in planting trees, he further added.
An event was also held at Kalash Valley Bumburate with the participation of local communities, members of the Chilghoza Forest Protection and Conservation Committees (CFPCC) and other stakeholders, where free plants were handed over to local communities.
The only solution is to reduce the pressure on the local forest, as these plants provide us with fuel for wood and fodder, added Mr. Abdul Majied Qureshi, President and CFPCC Bumburate.
He added that the Chilghoza Pine nuts are major source of livelihood for local communities and these forests need to be protected by providing alternative sources of fuel and fodder.
Umair Nawaz SDFO Chitral requested local people to plants the seedlings properly and said that by plating fast growing tree species on farmlands.
