Tree plantation drive: Green Pakistan initiative likely from February 9

To combat climate change, more trees are to be planted on government orders

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to mitigate the impact of climate change and global warming, the government is planning to plant over a 100 million saplings as part of an upcoming national tree plantation drive scheduled to commence early next month.

According to sources in the Ministry of Climate Change, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to inaugurate the drive on February 9.

A summary for drive, which is likely to cost over Rs3.66 billion, has already been sent to the PM Secretariat, ministry officials said.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council had approved funding for the project after securing the nod from the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on November 10, 2016.

Moreover, the centre and provinces are expected to share costs of the project equally, officials at the ministry said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2017.