PM Nawaz approves launch of ‘Green Pakistan’

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday approved the launch of “Green Pakistan Programme” to improve forestry and wildlife sectors in Pakistan.

Protection and management of wildlife and reclaiming and developing forest areas are the main aspects of the programme.

According to a press release, Ministry of Climate Change has consulted the federating prior to development of the roadmap.

The prime minister has directed Ministry of Climate Change to develop a proposal for strengthening Zoological Survey of Pakistan to immediately undertake inventory of endangered wildlife species and habitats across Pakistan.

He also issued directions for revival and management of internationally recognized wildlife habitats including Khunjrab National Park (GB), Khirthar National Park (Sindh), Hingol National Park (Baluchistan), Chitral Gol National Park (KPK), Lal Suhanara National Park and Salt Range area (Punjab), Machiara National Park (AJK) and Margalla Hills National Park (ICT). The institutional and administrative steps for protection of habitat and inventory for endangered wildlife species will help a great deal to achieve the desired goals.

Ministries of Climate Change and Science & 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 in the form of provision of images.

The prime minister will lead the Green Pakistan Programme on the pattern of “Great Green Wall Programme” of China which will target to add 100 million new plants over next five years all over the country.

This includes one thousand Avenue Miles of Canal Side & Roadside Plantations in Punjab, KPK and Sindh, plantations at Changa Manga, Darphar, Bahawalpur and Chichawatni.

Mangroves 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 Baluchistan and areas in GB, AJK, Muree,  Hazara, Kotli Sattian, Malakand, FATA (Orakzai, North Waziristan, are some of the locations for the plantations.