Preservation: ‘Country’s plantation should be protected’

Environmentalist says authorities are woefully negligent.

KARACHI:

Dr Iqbal Said Khan, an environmental scientist and a former director of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, has urged the authorities to ensure the protection of vegetation in the country. “This year is the international year of forest biodiversity, which provides us with an opportunity to expand our forest coverage from the pathetically low four per cent,” he said.

He said that the recent instances of chopping trees were woefully negligent. “The relevant agencies perhaps need to understand the difference between careful pruning and a brutal cut-off,” he said. The environmentalist said that the rapid population growth and unrealistic approach towards development continue to be a serious threat to forests. Referring to the mangrove forests, he said that they were being destroyed by the exposure to chemicals discharged by certain factories.

Dr Khan said that concerted efforts must be made by the society to sensitise the people about preserving forests. “It is shameful that a significant population in our country is yet to realise that these trees and deep-rooted plants protect us against the savage vagaries of climate change,” he said.

“Coastal areas, plains and mountains, all need green cover for the stability of soil that protects it against strong currents and also reduce the intensity of geological changes.” He pointed out that the country must pay attention to the environmental stress it is exposed to. Proper planning will also help in retaining its unique flora and fauna that it is otherwise fast losing, with several indigenous species already lost.

“Our immediate target must be to develop an efficient and sustainable strategy to enhance our forest coverage area to a minimum 25 per cent of the total land,” he said. Dr Khan said that equal attention has to be paid towards the protection and conservation of indigenous animals and birds.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2011.