ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday urged the nation to plant at least five trees a family and join the government in her efforts to achieve the target of a protected environment for future generations.
Addressing the participants at the launch of the nationwide Spring plantation campaign, the prime minister said owing to Pakistan’s unique vulnerability to climate threats, ambitious forestation was crucial to saving the country.
The plantation drive coincided with Scouts’ Day as the government decided to register the young force with the Billion Tree Tsunami programme to carry out plantation at a wider scale.
Some 750,000 members of the Pakistan Boy Scouts’ Association will join the drive to achieve the target of planting 540 million saplings this season.
Khan said the purpose of choosing Scouts’ Day for the launch of the campaign was to encourage the youth to take responsibility in protecting their environment.
He said a highly climate-vulnerable Pakistan could not cope with climate risks, particularly floods, desertification and heatwaves, which had become increasingly frequent due to global warming and reduced tree cover.
He said Pakistan was blessed with immense natural resources, adding it was the responsibility of every person to contribute towards protecting the environment through the plantation.
He said planting at least five trees per family would go a long way in making Pakistan clean and green.
Khan mentioned the Billion Tree project acclaimed international recognition, including by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, who acknowledged Pakistan as a leader in combating climate change.
“Our future is linked with a green Pakistan and we all need to join hands in achieving this goal,” he said.
The prime minister said Pakistan’s 12 unique climatic zones provided a favourable ground for tree plantation of all species.
He mentioned the current season would witness the target accomplishment of planting 540 million trees.
Minister of State for Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said Pakistan’s successful tree plantation model was inspiring several countries and mentioned that recently a memorandum of understanding was signed with Saudi Arabia in this regard.
According to the MoU, he said, Pakistan will present a plantation model to the kingdom based on the suggestions of its own experts.
He said the Minister for Environment of Germany said his government intended to inject €20 million into the Tree Tsunami project.
Earlier, the prime minister planted a sapling to mark the launch of the plantation campaign.
Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul, Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood and a number of scouts attended the event.
