Climate Change Ministry helping provincial departments to increase forest cover

Islamabad: The Climate Change Ministry is providing all out support to the provincial forest departments to increase forest cover in line with the targets set by the federal government. An official said although the forest has become a provincial subject after the 18th constitutional amendment, unprecedented significance and value of forest resources remain intact in the country.
He said the ministry has hammered out a comprehensive plan to boost area under trees and its protection and conservation through community and private sectors’ involvement in the country. The official said the targets that have been set are less likely to be achieved until and unless the private sector and indigenous communities in the forest areas are not taken on board in this regard.
“The federal government under the leadership of the climate change ministry will lead the massive tree plantation campaign in all provinces to increase area under forest from current 5 percent of the total landmass of the country to at least 12 percent within next few years,” he said.
He said they want to show to the world that Pakistan is committed to tackling global warming, climate change-induced disasters, particularly floods, and well-aware of significance of forests in this regard.