Green economy: Cutting down trees increases pollution in Pakistan

Pakistan lloses approximately Rs365billion a year due to pollution caused by the cutting down of trees.

SUKKUR:

A seminar was held at the Shah Abdul Latif University in Khairpur, on “Green Economy, Does it include you?” with regards to World Environment Day.

The seminar was organised by the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) in collaboration with the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the Sindh forest department. The director of CBC, Prof. Dr Ghulam Raza Bhatti said that pollution is increasing by the day in Pakistan.

The CBC has been established to research methods in order to reduce pollution. Pollution is increasing due to trees being mercilessly cut down for industrial and domestic use damaging Sindh’s eco-system and planting more trees would aim at reducing pollution said the district forest officer, Altaf Khokar at the seminar.

Industrial zones, power houses and water pollution have made the environment hazardous said Bilal Mehmood an engineer of CDM, Islamabad.

Trees are good for the health of the economy of Pakistan as it loses approximately Rs365billion a year due to pollution caused by the cutting down of trees said Khalil Raza Bhatti.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2012.