Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari inaugurated the 2024 Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign on August 18, emphasizing the critical role of forestry in combating climate change and enhancing Pakistan’s environmental sustainability.

According to Press Information Department, President Zardari addressed the nation, underscoring the importance of trees as essential to life providing clean air, regulating climate, and supporting diverse ecosystems. He highlighted that current forest cover is alarmingly low at about 5% of the nation’s total land area, urging collective efforts to improve this through the campaign.

The President detailed several initiatives under the campaign, including the ‘Upscaled Green Pakistan Programme,’ which has made significant strides internationally by planting over 2 million mangroves in Sindh, enhancing biodiversity and earning $27 million through carbon credit trading. He also referenced the ‘Living Indus Program,’ recognized with the UN Decade of Restoration Flagship Award, aimed at curbing deforestation.

President Zardari called on all sectors of society, especially the youth, to participate actively in the tree planting efforts. He expressed a vision of a greener Pakistan as a fundamental part of the country’s development agenda, highlighting the need for enhanced education and community involvement to reach these environmental goals.