Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Friday approved the launch of "Green Pakistan Programme" to improve forestry and wildlife sectors in the country. The Prime Minister will lead the Green Pakistan Programme on the pattern of "Green Wall Programme" of China which will target to add 100 Million new plants all over the country in next five years.
This would include one thousand Avenue Miles of Canal Side and Roadside Plantations in Punjab, KPK and Sindh, plantations at Changa Manga, Darphar, Bahawalpur and Chichawatni. It would also include plantations at the mangrove forests in Karachi and Badin along with hill forests of Khirthar range in Sindh, Juniper forests of Ziarat and Chilghoza forest in Suleiman Ranges of Balochistan and areas in GB, AJK, Muree, Hazara, Kotli Sattian, Malakand, FATA (Orakzai, North Waziristan).
The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Climate Change to develop a proposal for strengthening Zoological Survey of Pakistan so as to immediately undertake inventory of endangered wildlife species and habitats across the country. The institutional and administrative steps for protection of habitat and inventory for endangered wildlife species will help a great to deal to achieve the desired goals.
The Prime Minister said preservation and management of forest and wildlife resources of the country need to be adequately developed in line with the best international practices. The Prime Minister also issued directions for revival and management of internationally recognised wildlife habitats including Khunjrab National Park (GB), Khirthar National Park (Sindh), Hingol National Park (Balochistan), Chitral Gol National Park (KPK), Lal Suhana National Park and Salt Range area (Punjab), Machiara National Park (AJK) and Margalla Hills National Park (ICT).
Under the Green Pakistan protection and management of wildlife, reclaiming and developing forest areas are the main aspects of the programme. In this regard all relevant federal and provincial ministries and agencies will be facilitated to fulfil the task so that the desired objectives of forests preservation and wildlife protection is achieved, directed the Prime Minister.
For the Green Pakistan program Ministry of Climate Change has consulted the federating units including the Provinces, GB, AJK and FATA, prior to development of the roadmap. The initiative will ensure far-reaching reform in forestry and wildlife sectors of the country. Assessment of forest resource depletion, use of modern technology, and development of immediate and long term forest resource expansion plans would be devised for the purpose.
Ministries of Climate Change and Science and Technology will lead the regular stock-take of deforestation and forest degradation on periodic basis for producing "Report on State of Forestry in Pakistan". GIS laboratory in Punjab and Forest Inventory in KP Environment will help in maintaining the report while SUPARCO will extend technical support by providing images. The Federal Government will have an effective and steering role in all initiatives under the umbrella of Revival of Forestry and Wildlife Resources in Pakistan. The Federal Government will contribute 50% of the funding requirement while the remaining would be provided by the concerned provincial government and region.
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