President launches monsoon tree plantation drive

President Asif Ali Zardari started Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign on Friday by planting Neem tree at Aiwan-e-Sadr. On this occasion, the President said that forests and trees play important role in the national life and these are essential part of ecosystems regulating water supplies.
The President said, "it is our national duty to grow more trees and protect existing forests and trees and resolve to make Pakistan green and environmental friendly." Environment Minister Hameedullah Afridi, Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, senior officials of Ministry of Environment, Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Imtiaz Inayat Elahi and officers of other concerned departments were present on the occasion.
Calling upon all stakeholders including farmers, civil society organisations, the private sector and students to participate in the tree plantation drive, the President said the government had decided to launch plantation drives twice a year to increase forest cover of Pakistan.
He also urged corporate sector to take part in tree plantation drive as part of corporate social responsibility. The President also cautioned against the continuous depletion of forest reserves and its negative impact on the water resources and climate and called for reversing this trend. He also called upon relevant agencies of the state to make a foolproof forest monitoring system that ensured that forests were not denuded.
President Zardari recalled that following the 18th constitutional amendment had increased the powers and responsibilities of provincial governments manifold. In line with their newly acquired powers and responsibilities the provinces should adopt appropriate legislation and use available legal instruments to stop illegal cutting of trees, the President said.
He also called upon the provinces to adopt new technologies and out of box approaches to protect and enhance commercial and environmental forestry. "I invite all citizens to participate in our national effort to cover Pakistan with trees and make the country lush green. This is the only way to achieve the goal of sustainable social and economic development," he said.
Pointing out towards tree depletion, the President said that tree depletion has been minimised to a great extent by laying emphasis on tree plantation. He, however, said, "we must continue to strive for reversing the trend for forest depletion, which was being witnessed over the past few years." He also emphasised that tree are like democracy which must be protected and nourished so that they grow stronger and stronger. "We must realise that this is the only way to achieve the goal of sustainable social and economic development," the President added.