Latest news with #MonsoonTreePlantationDrive
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
President Zardari, PM Shehbaz call for collective response to climate change
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif have called for collective response to climate change through advancement of Green Pakistan Programme. In their separate messages on launching of nationwide Monsoon Tree Plantation Drive on Monday, they said more than 41 million saplings will be planted across the country during this campaign — between August and October. The president said at this critical time, when climate change has already brought destruction to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country through floods and cloudbursts, we must act decisively to plant more and more trees, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) media wing reported. Pakistan secures over $1.5 billion for climate action amid rising environmental pressures 'Trees are the lifeline of our environment and one of the strongest defenses against climate change. They clean the air we breathe, enrich the soil that feeds us, regulate our climate, conserve our precious water resources, and provide shelter to countless species of life. Trees lower extreme temperatures, absorb rainwater, and reduce floods and landslides. Every tree planted is a shield against disaster and a source of life for generations,' he said. He said the Green Pakistan Programme is a national initiative to expand forest cover, rehabilitate degraded lands, restore the balance of nature, and promote nature-based solutions. President Zardari said the well-being and progress of any nation are grounded in the preservation of its forests and natural environment. 'In this plantation campaign, I urge all citizens to take part in this noble cause and plant saplings to build a greener, cleaner, and more prosperous Pakistan for generations to come,' he said. PM Shehbaz, in his message, said the government is committed to tree plantation campaign by utilising all available means and natural solutions in order to increase the proportion of forests and soil fertility under its Green Pakistan Programme. What is cloudburst? Causes, science, role of climate change 'Increasing the rate of tree plantation is essential to protect against the harmful effects of climate change. Pakistan is among the countries most severely affected by climate change. The recent monsoon season's unusual rainfall and resulting flash floods, along with the loss of life and property, have once again proven that taking precautionary measures against climate change is inevitable for Pakistan. 'The forest cover in Pakistan is only five percent, which is insufficient for the environmental protection of any country,' he said. He urged the people to develop a sense of responsibility to fulfill this important national, environmental and climate duty. The prime minister said the tree plantation, with its positive impact on human life, plays a key role in the conservation and growth of country's invaluable natural resources, flora and fauna. 'Let us unite and participate in this national tree plantation campaign in an organised manner so that a green, healthy, clean, and prosperous Pakistan becomes the destiny of ours and future generations,' he maintained.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan demands collective response to climate change as monsoon rains kill 657 since June
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday demanded a collective response from the nation to climate change impacts, state-run media reported, as Pakistan reels from devastating floods that have killed at least 657 since the onset of the monsoon rains in late June. Deadly floods in the country's northern region, especially its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, have killed at least 323 people and injured 156 since Aug. 15, as per the provincial disaster management authority (PDMA). Raging hill torrents flattened several homes and swept away dozens of people in KP's Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Mansehra, Shangla and Battagram districts last week. Officials said several bodies were found on Sunday in the worst-hit Buner district. Pakistan's government launched a Monsoon Tree Plantation Drive on Monday, with state broadcaster Radio Pakistan saying more than 41 million saplings will be planted across the country during the campaign. 'President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif have called for collective response to climate change through advancement of Green Pakistan Programme,' state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. In his message, Zardari said the Green Pakistan Programme is a national initiative to expand forest cover, rehabilitate degraded lands, restore the balance of nature and promote nature-based solutions. 'The President said the well-being and progress of any nation are grounded in the preservation of its forests and natural environment,' the statement added. In his message, the prime minister called on federal and provincial governments, social and religious leaders, and citizens of all ages to renew their commitment to planting more trees. 'Tree plantation campaigns are not merely symbolic actions; they are a national duty aimed at protecting a healthy, natural environment for future generations and at preventing the destruction caused by climate change,' he added. The prime minister said increasing Pakistan's tree plantation rate is 'critically important' to counter the harmful effects of climate change, noting that the South Asian country ranks among nations most severely affected by climate change. 'The recent abnormal monsoon rains and the resulting floods and loss of lives and property once again underscore the fact that proactive measures against climate change are essential for Pakistan,' he added. KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Sunday visited Buner, where he promised survivors compensation for their financial losses, urging residents of disaster-prone areas to relocate from there. 'The data of all the losses is being compiled,' CM Gandapur told reporters in Buner. 'It is beyond our power to compensate the loss of lives, but we will compensate financial losses, damages to private property.' Several people were still missing on Sunday and search efforts were focused on areas where homes were flattened by water torrents that swept down from the mountains, carrying massive boulders that smashed into houses like explosions. The NDMA has forecast more 'heavy to very heavy rainfall' in parts of the country over the next 24 hours, particularly in Islamabad, KP, Punjab and Azad Kashmir, under the current weather system. The monsoon season brings South Asia about three-quarters of its annual rainfall, vital for agriculture and food security, but also brings destruction. 'The intensity of this year's monsoon is around 50 to 60 percent more than last year,' NDMA chief Lt. Gen. Inam Haider told journalists in Islamabad on Sunday. 'Two to three more monsoon spells are expected until the first weeks of September.' Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and is contending with extreme weather events with increasing frequency. Monsoon floods in 2022 submerged a third of the country and killed around 1,700 people.
