DHA to plant 130,000 saplings
Efforts to decrease environmental degradation, global warming underway
Efforts to decrease environmental degradation, global warming underway. PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Let's take baby steps, first Defence Housing Authority (DHA), then Karachi and then Pakistan said environmentalist Tofiq Pasha.
"DHA is very happy to announce this campaign in the area, as well as DHA City and the surrounding coastal areas," said DHA administrator Brig Zubair Ahmed at the launch of Green DHA tree plantation campaign on Monday. "We first started this campaign in March 2016 as CSR, with the plantation of 5,000 mangroves. This is a big step that we have taken in the direction of making our environment better," he said. DHA has launched this drive in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan (WWF-P). According to Pasha, as many as 130,000 saplings will be planted through this campaign, which will include 25,000 trees in DHA, 100,000 in DHA City and 5,000 mangroves. The ones in DHA will be shades and native trees, mainly Kiker and Neem.
"It is a matter of life and death, tree plantation is that important. Humans can't live without trees, whereas trees can live without humans," warned Pasha.
According to him, excessive tree cutting began in the 1980s for the sake of expansion of roads and creating tall buildings. "Look at the plight of Malir, where hundreds of acres of trees, which were heat absorbers, and farmland have been destroyed," he lamented. People have realised their mistake mainly due to last year's heatwave, says Pasha. Twenty-five per cent of the land mass should be under forest cover, he said. However, Karachi's situation is very different and no exact figure is available to ascertain how much is required to cover the land with trees. "This is a moment of excitement with an unprecedented 130,000 trees to be planted this season. Pakistan is taking a real lead in this direction; this is a big thing for us and we look forward to continued partnership with DHA on this platform," said Ali Dehlavi, regional head for WWF-P.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2016.
Let's take baby steps, first Defence Housing Authority (DHA), then Karachi and then Pakistan said environmentalist Tofiq Pasha.
"DHA is very happy to announce this campaign in the area, as well as DHA City and the surrounding coastal areas," said DHA administrator Brig Zubair Ahmed at the launch of Green DHA tree plantation campaign on Monday. "We first started this campaign in March 2016 as CSR, with the plantation of 5,000 mangroves. This is a big step that we have taken in the direction of making our environment better," he said. DHA has launched this drive in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan (WWF-P). According to Pasha, as many as 130,000 saplings will be planted through this campaign, which will include 25,000 trees in DHA, 100,000 in DHA City and 5,000 mangroves. The ones in DHA will be shades and native trees, mainly Kiker and Neem.
"It is a matter of life and death, tree plantation is that important. Humans can't live without trees, whereas trees can live without humans," warned Pasha.
According to him, excessive tree cutting began in the 1980s for the sake of expansion of roads and creating tall buildings. "Look at the plight of Malir, where hundreds of acres of trees, which were heat absorbers, and farmland have been destroyed," he lamented. People have realised their mistake mainly due to last year's heatwave, says Pasha. Twenty-five per cent of the land mass should be under forest cover, he said. However, Karachi's situation is very different and no exact figure is available to ascertain how much is required to cover the land with trees. "This is a moment of excitement with an unprecedented 130,000 trees to be planted this season. Pakistan is taking a real lead in this direction; this is a big thing for us and we look forward to continued partnership with DHA on this platform," said Ali Dehlavi, regional head for WWF-P.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2016.