ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam Khan has urged the provinces to pace up efforts for protecting forests and vowed all-out support to increase the forest cover.
This was stated by him while chairing the sixth meeting of the Federal Forestry Board held here on Monday at the Ministry of Climate Change.
The forest secretaries of all provinces, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, attended the high-powered meeting and shared with the Board meeting the latest information regarding progress of the tree plantation under the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (TBTTP), conservation of forests and wildlife across the country.
Provincial Secretaries also shared details regarding the achievements against targets set for Monsoon 2021, update on state of stocks in nurseries and strategy for the upcoming Spring Tree Plantation – 2022. They also
informed the Forestry Board meeting about land identified for plantation, days and number of events planned for inauguration of the Spring 2022 plantation campaign was also presented.
During the meeting, National Project Director of the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (TBTTP) briefed SAPM Malik Amin Aslam about the updated physical and financial progress of the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme TBTTP).
The Board was informed that over 70 percent of the plantation target of 502.500 million set for three-month monsoon season 2021, which ended in September last year, has been achieved.
A target of one billion tree plantation was set for the FY 2021-22 under TBTTP that included both monsoon and Spring tree plantation targets, the Board was apprised.
SAPM Malik Amin Aslam directed the forest secretaries of the provinces, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan to mobilse all resources to achieve the target of planting one billion trees by the end of June 30 this year.
Lauding the untiring efforts and smooth coordination with the federal government, he also pledged his all-out support to the provincial forest departments to achieve the target.
The SAPM also suggested that dedicated days for plantation with judiciary, schools, media, teachers, prayer leaders, NGOs and other government and non-governmental sectors should be identified/set for plantation under upcoming spring tree plantation campaign for year 2022.
He directed that all provinces should be taken on board for achieving the spring tree plantation target and a digital dashboard should be established for monitoring of the online progress of the tree plantations.
Malik Amin Aslam stressed that data regarding plantations and other relevant activities TBTTP must be uploaded timely on the digital dashboard of the programme for public information.
He also directed that 20% of the positions of forest Neghbans (forest watchers) should be set aside for females and women must be involved in nursery plantation.
SAPM Amin Aslam directed the Board to plan for setting up woodlots on private lands in different parts of the country, which would serve as a parcel of a woodland or forest capable of small-scale production of forest products as well as recreational uses like bird watching, bushwalking, and
wildflower appreciation.
The Board also reviewed the progress of third-party independent monitoring of the TBTTP by IUCN, WWF – Pakistan and UN-FAO. The Board was further informed that KfW has provided USD 106,000 to the consortium for phase-I for third-party monitoring of the TBTTP and has agreed to provide USD 205 million for the programme’s monitoring during phase-II.
