Planting trees is a sunnah of the Holy Prophet (pbuh)
KARACHI: Planting trees is a sunnah of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and it earns reward to those who do so. It is an essential element of the environment because it provides oxygen, maintains balance in climate and beautifies our surroundings. Several studies show that a person needs 550 litres of pure oxygen every day which can only be gained from trees. One tree produces 260 litres of oxygen on an annual basis. It requires proper management in terms of fertilisers, pesticides and water supply. Trees also help remove all kinds of pollution from air and water. Lack of trees can cause natural disaster (floods), decline in rainfall, heatstroke, an uptick in death rate and other health issues induced by pollution.
According to the former climate change minister, Mushahidullah Khan, Pakistan is at the seventh among 10 countries most affected by climate change. This is all because of lack of forest cover.
People are chopping down trees to use wood as a fuel for cooking purposes because in many parts of Pakistan there is no gas supply, so they have no other option.
Ideally, total land area should have a 25% green cover but in Pakistan we have only 2%. While America has 33% and India has 23% forest cover, Pakistan is deprived of 67,500 acres of forest annually. It is, therefore, essential that everyone comes forward to mitigate the situation, plant a sapling and be a part of a concerted campaign. I do not think people will disagree on this significant issue as they tend to disagree on other issues by politicising them.
A little contribution of each individual can bring a lot of difference collectively.
Hamna Arif
Published in The Express Tribune, October 21st, 2018.
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