‘It’s not enough to plant trees; they also need to be cared for’

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab has said that Karachi is the only city in Pakistan that has the honour of being included in the C40 cities.

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group is a group of 96 cities around the world that represents one-twelfth of the world’s population and one-quarter of the global economy. Wahab said that various steps have been taken in Karachi to deal with the issue of climate change, adding that urban forests have been made to bring improvement in the air quality.

However, he pointed out, it is not enough to plant trees, as they also have to be nurtured and cared for. He said that to improve the city’s environment, vehicle emissions and smoke from factories in industrial areas need to be controlled, and environmental initiatives need to be proactive in every sector.

The mayor was addressing the opening ceremony of a workshop on climate change at a hotel on Thursday. He said resident should adopt trees, which would make the city’s environment pleasant.

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) is allocating spaces for car parking at different places in the city to avoid traffic jams on roads and environmental pollution caused because of them, he added.

He said that a number of measures have been taken to deal with climate change at city level, including creating awareness among the public about this important issue and bringing all stakeholders together, as the success of any work depends on teamwork and mutual cooperation.

He also said that as major cities around the world face the challenges of climate change, global environmental organisations develop strategies based on the latest research and data, and inform member states and cities. It is good that efforts are being made to combat the effects of climate change across the world together to make the planet safe for the human population, he added.

Wahab said the population is increasing rapidly in Karachi, adding that according to the proposals and reports presented at the workshop, progress in environmental initiatives in major and important coastal cities like Karachi should be made, in which the KMC would fully cooperate.

Other speakers also addressed the workshop, and stressed the need to formulate a comprehensive and universal policy on climate change. KMC Municipal Commissioner Syed Afzal Zaidi, UNDP’s Abid Hussaini, NED University’s Dr Noman Ahmed, and officers of various KMC departments were also present on the occasion.