The Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) has approved a target of planting a whopping number of 109 million trees across the country during this monsoon season.

While chairing a high-profile inter-ministerial and inter-provincial meeting on Wednesday, Climate Change Minister, Mr. Zahid Hamid, stated that as many as 109 million saplings would be planted during the upcoming monsoon season.

The officials of provincial forest departments, federal ministries, Pakistan ordinance factory, national highway authority, heavy industry taxilla and some other concerned government authorities were also present in the during. The officials shared their targets while sharing their inputs with the Climate Change Minister who gave them all a go ahead.

Out of the 109 million trees, around 14.2 million seedlings would be rooted under the Prime Minister’s 5 year ‘Green Pakistan Programme’ (GPP) project which will be formally launched in August.

While presenting the breakup of the tree plantation, Forest Inspector, General Syed Mahmood Nasir stated that around 13 million trees would be planted during the ongoing monsoon by the Punjab Forest Department. The further division is as following:

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) will plant 75 million trees
• Sind to plant 12 million trees
• FATA will plant 4.1 million trees
• Azad Jammu and Kashmir will plant 3 million trees
• Defence Ministry will get to plant 1 million trees
• Baluchistan will plant 0.7 million trees
• IUCN will get to plant 200,000 trees
• Pakistan ordinance factory will get 7000 trees and
• Heavy taxilla industry will plant 1000 trees

The Minister also requested the participants to join Federal Government’s efforts to make Green Pakistan Programme (GPP) a success. He stated that:

“The Green Pakistan Programme is aimed at protecting the country and its people from devastating impacts of climate change which have witnessed increase in intensity and frequency over recent years”

A rollout plan for the execution of GPP was also sent to the respective provincial government as it was briefed by Climate Change Secretary, Syed Abu Ahmad Akif. He stated that:

“Through the letter, the ministry has conveyed to the provincial governments the significance of the Green Pakistan Programme for sustainable socio-economic development of the country and coping with climate change-induced disasters; particularly floods, heatwaves, landslides, land and river erosions, cyclones, dust storms and desertification”

Forest Inspector, General Syed Mahmood Nasir, stressed on sincere and competent efforts while implementing trees across the country. He said that the 4 month long monsoon season will expose us to grab full opportunity to plant as many trees on a larger scale. He further added that the wet spring season is expected to provide trillions of liter water which will help the sapling to grow quickly and rapidly.