KARACHI:
The increasing value of high-rise buildings and shopping malls coupled with theme parks and luxurious restaurants has reduced the appeal of natural beauty and landscapes. Nowadays, people are more inclined to spend their leisure time in these spaces compared to natural sites such as parks. Resultantly, entire green belts have been erased to construct modern infrastructure.
Municipal administrations do not invest in the maintenance of public parks as people seldom visit them. Researchers suggest that natural landscapes produce positive benefits for both mental and physical health. Just a walk or stroll in a park for a few minutes can brighten your mood and relieve stress. The presence of parks makes our cities and neighbourhoods more attractive and peaceful to live in. Greenspaces also improve air quality, reduce pollution, and enhance the overall environment. These are benefits that concrete buildings cannot provide us. Thus, it is necessary to develop more parks and public gardens around the country.
Natural landscapes connect people to nature and contribute significantly to people’s well-being and quality of life. Importantly, they maintain an environmental balance and prevent natural disasters. Therefore, local communities should support municipal authorities in preserving and upkeeping the different sites. The government should invest in natural landscapes and prevent people from exploiting them by enforcing strict laws.
Faiza Abbas Hussain
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2023.
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