Government to Plant 100 Million Trees Nationwide
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif kicked off a nationwide tree planting campaign by planting a sapling at a ceremony. He announced a plan to plant at least 100 million trees across Pakistan, including in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, to help combat climate change, which caused severe damage in 2022.
The Prime Minister highlighted the devastating floods from climate change that resulted in over 1,700 deaths, displaced eight million people, and caused around $3 billion in damages. In August 2022, the government declared a state of emergency due to these floods.
Mr. Sharif expressed hope that the tree planting drive would help reduce air pollution and urged both federal and provincial authorities to support the initiative nationwide. He also encouraged citizens to participate actively to combat climate change and create a healthier environment.
During the event, the Prime Minister was given details on specific planting targets. He recently emphasized that while Pakistan contributes little to global climate change, it is heavily impacted and needs a strong strategy to address climate change’s effects on agriculture, energy, water, infrastructure, and other areas.
