LAHORE – To increase the tree cover of Lahore, WWF-Pakistan and Carrefour Pakistan in collaboration with Parks and Horticulture Authority, Lahore Ring Road Authority, and Afforestation Lahore, initiated a plantation drive under the Lahore Commissioner’s Urban Afforestation initiative, as part of the government’s Clean and Green Pakistan initiative. Under this plantation drive, a total of 5,000 indigenous tree saplings will be planted along the Lahore Ring Road.
Lahore, once known as the City of Gardens, has rapidly lost urban green spaces to make way for the swelling population. Such plantation drives will maintain the groundwater table, improve air quality and mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change. The drive was organized at Col Arif Alam Shaheed Interchange, Lahore Ring Road where approximately 100 saplings of native trees were planted.
In burgeoning cities like Lahore, lack of green belts and the increased concrete cover has led to elevated temperatures. Nationally green patches in cities are being replaced by new developmental projects and housing colonies. The subsequent cutting of trees not only escalates greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions but increases temperature and vulnerability to extreme weather events.
Speaking on the occasion, Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan said, This plantation is a great initiative, it will help to improve tree cover in the city. Climate change is real, and it is affecting us through extreme weather events, drought, floods and heatwaves. It is important that such corporate organizations and passionate citizens come forward and extend their support for clean and green Pakistan. Pakistan has the highest annual deforestation rate in Asia and forest cover is less than 2% of the total land. We have already initiated such plantation drives near metropolitan cities to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change. He emphasized the need for public-private partnerships to promote the cause of the environment in the country.
Fredick Levy, Country Manager of Carrefour Pakistan at Majid Al Futtaim Retail commented while speaking at the occasion, “Sustainability is at the heart of what we do and we feel immense pride to add to the green cover of the city of Lahore. We will continue to raise awareness among all our stakeholders through various activities and urge them to join us in our efforts to protect the environment. At Majid Al Futtaim, we pride ourselves on being an environmentally conscious organization, reflected in our commitment to being Net Positive in carbon and water by 2040. We hope to inspire our Carrefour customers to join us so that together, we can contribute to a greener earth and continue to create great moments for everyone every day.”
WWF-Pakistan initiated a nationwide plantation drive campaign, Rung Do Pakistan in 2018 that is contributing to increasing the green cover of the country while afforestation and forest restoration has been a key component of the organizations conservation strategy for decades. Rung Do is an opportunity for the entire country to come together and play their part in contributing positively towards protecting our ecosystem.
