The government has decided to initiate a mega project worth Rs 12 billion to develop the forest cover across the country from 5 percent to 6 percent under the Millennium Development Goals. More than 73 million saplings would be planted all over the country during the Spring Tree Plantation Campaign 2008.
This was decided in the inter-provincial meeting on the campaign held here under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Environment, Syed Wajid Hussain Bukhari, on Wednesday.
Environment Secretary Ejaz Ahmed Qureshi, Balochistan Forest Minister Mir Murad Abro, NWFP Forest Minister Ijaz Ali Durrani, Punjab Forest Minister Pir Saad Ahsan-ud-Din, Additional Secretary Sami-ul-Haq Khilji, Inspector General (Forest), Dr Bashir Ahmed Wani, Provincial Secretaries Forest, representatives of the relevant sectors, NGOs and civil society attended the meeting.
Under the six-year mega project plan for development of forestry sector, an amount of Rs 3678.664 million would be spent in Punjab, Rs 3003.766 million in NWFP, Rs 1484.00 million in Sindh, Rs 2157.823 million in Balochistan and Rs 1663.043 million in AJK
In Punjab, 1.6 million saplings will be planted on an area of 266 acres. Moreover, the government has also decided to plan nurseries. The minister said every citizen should come forward and play due role to make this campaign a success to achieve the objective of a pollution-free Pakistan.
During this campaign, the provincial forest departments would work in collaboration with the general public, NGOs and corporate sector, he said. Spring tree plantation campaign target includes planting of 20 million saplings in Punjab, 10 million in Sindh, 20 million in NWFP, 2 million in Balochistan, 15 million in AJK, 4 million in Northern Areas and 2 million saplings by other departments including CDA.
The minister said that main objectives of the mega project in the forestry sector are to enhance the forest cover to develop new carbon sinks for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to meet international obligations under Kyoto Protocol.
These objectives also include institutional strengthening of provincial forest departments and evolve an effective monitoring mechanism for protection, plantation and conservation of the existing forest resources of the country.
The implementation strategy involves conservation of biodiversity, alleviation of poverty by enhancing agriculture and livestock production and increasing wood production in the country.
"Special emphasis would be laid upon forestation, reforestation and developing nurseries and seed orchards. A well-planned mechanism would be evolved to monitor the execution of the projects so as to ensure proper utilisation of funds, protection of the forest resources and to maximise the survival rate of newly planted saplings", the minister maintained.
Participants criticised that there is no proper monitoring system in place regarding growth of the forest cover. Especially in Sindh, the absence of management system and poor administration is reducing the forest area there.
Deforestation rate in Pakistan, estimated at 0.2 to 0.5 percent annually, is the highest in the world, which accounts for a 4-6 percent decline in its wood biomass per annum. Moreover, the total natural forest cover has reduced from 3.59 million hectares to 3.32 million hectares at an average rate of 27000 hectares annually.
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