ISLAMABAD: The experts at a consultative workshop organized by the WWF-Pakistan and Oxfam-GB on Tuesday informed that the Sindh province has achieved 50 percent of the total 1.2 billion plantation target under the flagship Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation (TBTTP) so far.
The two-day consultative workshop aimed at enhancing coordinated efforts for addressing key environmental issues of Sindh and Balochistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Forest Ministry of Climate Change Raja Omer said former Secretary Forest Sindh Abdul Raheem Somroo pioneered the TBTTP initiative in Sindh and the entire department tremendously ensured massive afforestation in the coastal, riverine and urban sectors.
He added that according to the latest United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report fisheries were the only natural reserves increasing in the South of the country.
He underlined that community engagement was very crucial as half of the local communities were relying on coastal resources bearing whopping impacts of climate change.
Omer said there was also urgent need to contain industrial effluent being dumped in to the Arabian Sea causing depletion of various precious marine resources.
Secretary Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Abdul Raheem Somroo was the chief guest at the opening panel discussion.
Addressing the workshop, he said the Forest Department staff has worked relentlessly to augment the green cover across the coasts, riverine forests, and also ensured social and urban forest initiatives.
He added that despite receiving 0.2 percent of the total Rs125 billion project funding Sindh has achieved maximum plantation targets under the TBTTP flagship initiative as a national cause.
Somroo highlighted that Indus Delta was the 5th largest in the world which was shrinking at an increasing level and was a threat to the national economy.
Regional Head WWF-Pakistan Dr Tahir Rasheed underscored the role and achievements of WWF-Pakistan and Oxfam-GB collaboration on shared values of building resilience to coastal climate veniality initiated back in 2019.
The project location was Indus Delta focusing the districts of Thatta, Sajawal and Badin.
He also mentioned that WWF-Pakisan and Oxfam-GB successfully managed to develop local adaptation plans of action (LAPA) and was working out its implementation.
Dr Tahir added that WWF-Pakistan contributed some 14,000 hectares of mangroves plantation in Sindh throughout its various plantation endeavours.
He also told that the WWF-Pakistan was also engaging women of local communities to raise mangroves saplings and earn green livelihood.