SPRING tree plantation campaign has started across the country and this year target of planting 250 million saplings has been fixed under the theme ‘restoration of degraded forests’. These seasonal plantation campaigns have been continuing over the last many years that should have increased our forest cover. However the situation on the ground is quite contrary?
The country’s deforestation rate is estimated between 0.2 and 0.5 per cent per annum — highest in the world — accounting for four to six per cent decline in its wood biomass per annum. Lahore High Court while hearing a case last year had also voiced serious concerns over this rapid depletion of forests. The natural forest cover had reduced from 3.59 million hectares to 3.32m hectares at an average rate of 27,000 hectares annually. This really should ring alarm bells in relevant quarters as Pakistan is ranked amongst the countries, which are most vulnerable to global warming and climate change. There is dire need to do reality check as to why forest cover is declining despite massive plantation every year in the country. This clearly shows that newly planted saplings are not fully being taken care of and that timber mafia is fully active and involved in damaging our forests for their vested interests. If our authorities are really interested to restore the forest cover, they will have to launch a full fledged concerted operation against timber mafia and those nabbed should be given strict punishment, as this matter is also closely linked with better future of the country.
Civic bodies and district administrations should be given the task to properly take care of new plants by taking on board other segments of the society especially school children. In fact the entire nation will have to get united to promote this cause and turn Pakistan green, which in fact is important to save the country from negative impacts of climate change and ensure food security. The present government has set a mammoth task of planting ten billion trees during its tenure. This target should not remain only in papers but efforts should be accelerated to achieve the target at the earliest. Planting and protecting plants should be the focus of our drives to increase forest cover.
