Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Green Pakistan Year: 70m trees to be planted during spring season
* Forest cover to be increased from 5 percent to 6 percent
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Environment has announced that it will plant over 70 million saplings during its spring tree plantation campaign to celebrate 2007 as ââ¬ËGreen Pakistan Yearââ¬â¢.
According to targets set for the Spring Tree Plantation Campaign 2007, Punjab will plant 20 million saplings, Sindh 10 million, the NWFP 20 million, Balochistan two million, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 15 million, the Northern Areas four million and other departments, including the Capital Development Authority, will plant two million trees.
The campaign will formally start from the first week of February, as decided in a meeting chaired by Minister for Environment Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat earlier.
As the number of trees in the country continues to decline due to illegal and legal logging, the government has decided to increase forest cover in all four provinces. He said that the countryââ¬â¢s forests were under increasing pressure as more and more trees were being cut for fuel and household needs due to an increase in fuel prices.
ââ¬ÅAll efforts will be made to enhance tree cover from the existing 5 percent to 6 percent under the UNââ¬â¢s Millennium Development Goals,ââ¬Â the official said. The ministry is also considering a plan to provide necessary financial assistance to the Provincial forest departments and the AJK and Northern Areas to achieve the target.
ââ¬ÅYear 2007 will be dedicated to tree plantation under the Sarsabz Pakistan Initiative,ââ¬Â an official of the ministry said. ââ¬ÅAll the provincial forest departments, the AJK government and the Northern Areas will take part in this campaign,ââ¬Â the official said. He said that the Ministry of Environment would also ensure the participation of non-government organisations (NGOs), the private sector and volunteers in the campaign for effectively implementing the project.
He said that the ministry would also encourage tree plantation over the target fixed for spring, while the target for the Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign could be revised.
He said that most provincial forest departments lacked expertise and skilled manpower and there was a need to train existing staff in the provinces.
He said that the ministryââ¬â¢s forestry wing would organise a training programme to train provincial forest department staff at the Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\16\story_16-1-2007_pg11_11
Green Pakistan Year: 70m trees to be planted during spring season
* Forest cover to be increased from 5 percent to 6 percent
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Environment has announced that it will plant over 70 million saplings during its spring tree plantation campaign to celebrate 2007 as ââ¬ËGreen Pakistan Yearââ¬â¢.
According to targets set for the Spring Tree Plantation Campaign 2007, Punjab will plant 20 million saplings, Sindh 10 million, the NWFP 20 million, Balochistan two million, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 15 million, the Northern Areas four million and other departments, including the Capital Development Authority, will plant two million trees.
The campaign will formally start from the first week of February, as decided in a meeting chaired by Minister for Environment Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat earlier.
As the number of trees in the country continues to decline due to illegal and legal logging, the government has decided to increase forest cover in all four provinces. He said that the countryââ¬â¢s forests were under increasing pressure as more and more trees were being cut for fuel and household needs due to an increase in fuel prices.
ââ¬ÅAll efforts will be made to enhance tree cover from the existing 5 percent to 6 percent under the UNââ¬â¢s Millennium Development Goals,ââ¬Â the official said. The ministry is also considering a plan to provide necessary financial assistance to the Provincial forest departments and the AJK and Northern Areas to achieve the target.
ââ¬ÅYear 2007 will be dedicated to tree plantation under the Sarsabz Pakistan Initiative,ââ¬Â an official of the ministry said. ââ¬ÅAll the provincial forest departments, the AJK government and the Northern Areas will take part in this campaign,ââ¬Â the official said. He said that the Ministry of Environment would also ensure the participation of non-government organisations (NGOs), the private sector and volunteers in the campaign for effectively implementing the project.
He said that the ministry would also encourage tree plantation over the target fixed for spring, while the target for the Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign could be revised.
He said that most provincial forest departments lacked expertise and skilled manpower and there was a need to train existing staff in the provinces.
He said that the ministryââ¬â¢s forestry wing would organise a training programme to train provincial forest department staff at the Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\16\story_16-1-2007_pg11_11
