A total of 261.36 million trees were planted in Pakistan from April to July 2022 to enhance the forest cover.

Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman informed the National Assembly during the question hour that 71.69 million trees in Punjab province, 93.377 million in Sindh, 87.414 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 3.17 million in Balochistan, 2.73 million in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 2.98 million in Gilgit-Baltistan region were planted during the three-month period.

In 2016, Pakistan launched Green Pakistan Programme (GPP) at a total cost of Rs4.7 billion with an aim to enhance the forest cover and revive wildlife resources across the country. In 2019, the GPP was upgraded to Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (TBTTP) with a total cost of Rs125.184 billion, and the target of plantation/regeneration was enhanced to 3.296 billion.

Sharing major progress in the TBTTP, the minister said improvement at two Ramsar sites has been initiated in Balochistan province, and 20 seasonal community watchmen have been hired for biodiversity conservation. Similarly, she said, seven private breeding programmes and 30 game watchers have been hired for wildlife protection task-force in the province.

In Punjab, the she said, staff was hired for Balloki Nature Reserve and motorbikes were provided to field staff to strengthen the in-situ conservation activities.

“In Gilgit-Baltistan, the development of check posts is underway in Diamer and Astore,” Sherry Rehman said, adding that vaccination of livestock was initiated in valleys and villages of GB.

In Sindh, she said, Khaar Wildlife Centre has been improved and rehabilitated for biodiversity conservation.

In KP, management plan for biosphere reserves has been prepared and submitted to the Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) Section of the Ministry of Climate Change, for onward submission to UNESCO for a project activity.

The Zoological Survey of Pakistan (ZSP), she said, was being strengthened for which secondary data for mammals of Pakistan has been compiled.  Taxon data sheets for collection of sighting data of mammals of Pakistan has been developed and shared with experts for the development of national red data book for mammals. She said a biodiversity information portal was being developed for data collection and integration with digital dashboard.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk