By: Asem Mustafa Awan
Pakistan is hit hard by the climatic changes as the extremes of temperatures both hot and cold in the length and breadth of the country depicts that something is not right.
The world is now realizing that future lies in the safe environment which is only possible when governments along with their people strive together to achieve common goals to save future for the next generation.
Prime Minister Imran Khan played host to the international environment conference which had participation globally via video link. World leaders with Chinese President Xi Jin Ping and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had their messages read out to the participants.
The world leaders are unanimous that saving the earth is the only hope for future and the time has come to make efforts to reduce the emission of toxic gasses which is killing the planet.
Pakistan efforts in combating the climatic changes as one of the worst hit countries were lauded by the participants who viewed Prime Minister Billion Trees Tsunami as a great initiative.
Plant for Pakistan (Plant4Pakistan), also known as 10 Billion Trees Tsunami, is a five-year project to plant 10 billion trees across Pakistan from 2018 to 2023. Prime Minister Imran Khan kicked off the drive on September 2, 2018 and made his intentions known that future lies with clean and green Pakistan.
The nation has an agriculture base and is blessed with all weathers; the need of the hour is to make efforts to get the maximum output for the existing resources.
The bumper crops which have been recorded according to the officials show the potential but the same time the water crisis is also round the corner. The depleting water resources are result of vanishing forests as more and more land is now getting converted into concrete jungle without a thought. The floods and unprecedented snow storms in regions are all ringing alarm bells for remedial actions. Acting local will have results which will have global implication and Islamabad has one case that seeks immediate attention.
The unique landscape of federal capital with Margalla Hills have been a crime scene for decades and for years people who have been causing the fire have never been brought to book or held accountable for their actions.
This forest fire which is an annual feature in the national calendar should now be omitted and the fire making monsters should be placed behind bars where they belong.
The photo of a charred and burnt up bird appeared in social media a few days ago. The burnt up bird has eggs which she was hatching and the man-made fire from the timber mafia never allowed her the chance. The female bird protecting the chicks that were about to come out braved the fire and died alongside them in the nest.
Such a tragic end to a bird which could have taken the flight but opted to die is message for the policy makers to make amends and save the forest before the fire reaches their own homes.