Title Pakistan Forest Digest Issue 01- A4 - Pakistan Research Group

SDPISustainable Development Policy InstituteEnvironment, Syed MehmoodNasir, former inspector general offorests Dr Basher Ahmad Wani,WWF-Pakistan Director-GeneralAli Hassan Habib andenvironmental scientist Dr AbdulAleem Chaudhry.Dr Wani said the largestconversion of forest land into nonforestuse had been done in Punjabwhere 99,711 acres had beenconverted while 27,874 acres wereconverted to non-forest land inSindh.The speakers said the governmenthad set a target to cover six percent of the country’s land withforests by 2015, however littleprogress had been made in thisregard. They said forests wereimportant in fight againstgreenhouse gases,which were impactingclimate change.Dr Malik said forestsabsorbed water and thefiltered waters weremade available for consumption inthe water bodies and alsoimproved ground water level.Illegal cutting of trees continuesThe Nation Islamabad, June 28, 2010ISLAMABAD (Online) Theillegal cutting of trees continues inthe Islamabad by different ways,which has affected natural look ofthe capital.The citizens have underlined thatbesides cutting trees, the treeshave been dried on Jinnah Avenue,Margalla Road and Agha ShaiAvenue due to inattention ofauthorities concerned.They said that the less number oftrees is causing environmentalpollution and causinginconvenience to people. It is alsonoted that the increasing numberof vehicles and smoke emittingfactories have already increasedthe ratio of pollution ill the capital.Killing of trees cuts deep into Islamabad’s green characterDaily Times Islamabad, June 29, 2010ISLAMABAD: The illegal cuttingof trees across the federal capital isspoiling its green character. It isalso harming city’s naturalenvironment already facing threatsowing to immense developmentactivities.Individuals as well as the timbermafia are actively engaged inchopping of trees both from urbanarea of the federal capital orMargalla Hills National Park.In this spring season, the CapitalDevelopment Authority (CDA)has planted 400,000 saplingsacross the federal capital as part ofongoing 50-year celebrations ofIslamabad.Almost 275,000 saplings wereplanted in regional areas, includingMargallah Hills and SimlyCatchments. Around 150,000 treeswere planted in Margallah HillsNational Park and 125,000saplings in Simly Dam’scatchments.Under three-year ‘Clean andGreen Islamabad Campaign’,which started in Monsoon-2008,the CDA has so far planted1,164,000 plants in three seasonsagainst a target of 2,400,000plants.According to environmentalists,hundreds of saplings can never bea substitute to a grown tree. TheCDA has failed to develop anymechanism to ensure the growth ofthese saplings and their protectionas most of them are eitheruprooted or die due to extremeweather conditions.In Maragalla Hills, hundreds oftrees are gutted in summer fires,which are mostly ignited becauseof some commercial or individualgains.Deputy Director GeneralEnvironment Malik Auliya toldthis news agency that theAuthority has deployed sufficientworkforce in hilly as well as urbanareas, including security guardsand foresters who act against thechoppers in the light of LandscapeOrdinance.He said the penalties are imposedon the choppers according to thesize of the wood carried by theperson.Malik Auliya said the Authorityhas also formed a special team toconduct surprise raids and act oncomplaints registered by thepeople. APPPakistan Forest Digest Vol. 1, No. 1, April – June, 2010