Islamabad, August. 15 (INP) -- For a sustainable livelihood, conservation, and management of forests, engagement of the local communities is necessary, Said Coordinator to Prime Minister on Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam. She said, “The traditional knowledge inherited to the locals from their ancestors is vital to protect the natural resources and biodiversity protection. In many Asian countries, the community-based forest conservation practices widely helped to waive land grabbing, poaching, and logging”.

Given the effectiveness of community-based forest management in forest protection and conservation, the climate change & environmental coordination’s Upscaling Green Pakistan Programme (UGPP) has launched an ambitious tree plantation campaign in collaboration with the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) across Pakistan, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to enhance tree cover in the country. Concerning the said coordination, Ms. Alam said that it aims to engage the BISP beneficiaries in tree plantation. It would help foster environmental stewardship and contribute to a greener Pakistan. Below is an overview of the activities and plans in each province. She said, “A large number of women beneficiaries and their families were also pro-actively engaged in various tree plantation activities on the Plant for Pakistan day, which was celebrated on the 77th Independence Day of Pakistan across the country on Wednesday”.

She said that a robust plan has been hammered out in consultation with BISP to ensure for enhanced collaboration between the forest and BISP across Pakistan and AJK for widespread participation of BISP aid beneficiaries and their families. Romina Khurshid Alam also said that all provincial BISP headquarters have been connected with provincial chief forest conservators and officials of the Green Pakistan Programme of the climate change and environmental coordination ministry for the collection of tree saplings and their distribution among the BISP aid beneficiaries for planting in their communities and nearby forest areas.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)