STAFF REPORT ISB: A seminar has recently been organized to commemorate the International Day of Forests by IUCN, and the Ministry of Climate Change, CDA, Bahria University at Bahria University, Islamabad Campus with an objective to highlight the importance of the International Day of Forest. The theme of the year 2016 is: “Forest and Water”.
While elaborating the significance of forests, Abdul Munaf Qaimkhani, Deputy IG Forests, said that in order to reduce the rising temperature and melting glaciers it is imperative that we should devote our energies towards bringing maximum area under green cover.
He further said that the vision of the Prime Minister for our Green Pakistan Programme is to green the country on the lines of the Great Green Wall of China; and the Ministry of Climate Change has already started working on his directives.
Zill-e-Huma, Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Climate Change, made a presentation. She said that despite of all these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate. The rate of destruction is 13 million hectares of forest per annum.
While speaking on the occasion, Iftikhar Gillani, Joint Secretary Climate Change, said that the MoCC has been playing a key role by providing stewardship all over the country to celebrate this day since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Resolution on 21 December 2012.