* Forest cover to be increased from 5 percent to 6 percent
ISLAMABAD
According to targets set for the Spring Tree Plantation Campaign 2007, Punjab will plant 20 million saplings, Sindh 10 million, the NWFP 20 million, Balochistan two million, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 15 million, the Northern Areas four million and other departments, including the Capital Development Authority, will plant two million trees.
The campaign will formally start from the first week of February, as decided in a meeting chaired by Minister for Environment Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat earlier.
As the number of trees in the country continues to decline due to illegal and legal logging, the government has decided to increase forest cover in all four provinces. He said that the country’s forests were under increasing pressure as more and more trees were being cut for fuel and household needs due to an increase in fuel prices.
“All efforts will be made to enhance tree cover from the existing 5 percent to 6 percent under the UN’s Millennium Development Goals,†the official said. The ministry is also considering a plan to provide necessary financial assistance to the Provincial forest departments and the AJK and Northern Areas to achieve the target.
“Year 2007 will be dedicated to tree plantation under the Sarsabz Pakistan Initiative,†an official of the ministry said. “All the provincial forest departments, the AJK government and the Northern Areas will take part in this campaign,†the official said. He said that the Ministry of Environment would also ensure the participation of non-government organisations (NGOs), the private sector and volunteers in the campaign for effectively implementing the project.
He said that the ministry would also encourage tree plantation over the target fixed for spring, while the target for the Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign could be revised.
He said that most provincial forest departments lacked expertise and skilled manpower and there was a need to train existing staff in the provinces.
He said that the ministry’s forestry wing would organise a training programme to train provincial forest department staff at the Pakistan Forest Institute,Peshawar
According to targets set for the Spring Tree Plantation Campaign 2007, Punjab will plant 20 million saplings, Sindh 10 million, the NWFP 20 million, Balochistan two million, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 15 million, the Northern Areas four million and other departments, including the Capital Development Authority, will plant two million trees.
The campaign will formally start from the first week of February, as decided in a meeting chaired by Minister for Environment Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat earlier.
As the number of trees in the country continues to decline due to illegal and legal logging, the government has decided to increase forest cover in all four provinces. He said that the country’s forests were under increasing pressure as more and more trees were being cut for fuel and household needs due to an increase in fuel prices.
“All efforts will be made to enhance tree cover from the existing 5 percent to 6 percent under the UN’s Millennium Development Goals,†the official said. The ministry is also considering a plan to provide necessary financial assistance to the Provincial forest departments and the AJK and Northern Areas to achieve the target.
“Year 2007 will be dedicated to tree plantation under the Sarsabz Pakistan Initiative,†an official of the ministry said. “All the provincial forest departments, the AJK government and the Northern Areas will take part in this campaign,†the official said. He said that the Ministry of Environment would also ensure the participation of non-government organisations (NGOs), the private sector and volunteers in the campaign for effectively implementing the project.
He said that the ministry would also encourage tree plantation over the target fixed for spring, while the target for the Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign could be revised.
He said that most provincial forest departments lacked expertise and skilled manpower and there was a need to train existing staff in the provinces.
He said that the ministry’s forestry wing would organise a training programme to train provincial forest department staff at the Pakistan Forest Institute,
No comments:
Post a Comment