THE seasonal rains under way these days in many parts of the country make it the ideal time to put in some spadework towards a greener future. But our track record in this regard is unfortunate. A 25pc or higher forest cover is internationally recommended; yet, Pakistan has steadily eaten away at its natural heritage so that a pitiable 2pc of its forest cover remains. The country’s deforestation rate is the highest in Asia, and, according to the Worldwide Fund for Nature-Pakistan, between 2000 and 2010 we lost an average of approximately 43,000 hectares of forests — or an area roughly half the size of the federal capital.

That the issue remains on the radar, then, must come as a matter of relief. Although awareness is generally low, it is growing — albeit agonisingly slowly, and prompted in no small part by international and development organisations. Plantation drives are initiated sporadically in different parts of the country, and all these must be welcomed. On Sunday, in Karachi, for example, the WWF-P kicked off a campaign to plant 1.4m trees across the country within the span of a year. Meanwhile, in the Rawalpindi / Islamabad area, the Forests Department recently distributed over 200,000 saplings for plantation, and in the capital city a private initiative kicked off to plant 20,000 trees in different areas in collaboration with the city administration. These attempts are all praiseworthy, as are other gains such as those made in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past few years. Yet it is worth asking, after the cameras have stopped rolling and good intentions withered away, will the outcomes of these drives be helped to survive and flourish? Have the custodians of the law the wherewithal and determination to take on the related problem of the timber mafia, and do city planners display the wisdom to temper urbanisation requirements with concerns about deforestation? Certainly, it is imperative that all these challenges be met — and most importantly, be delinked — from political capital. Instead, they should centre on the future prosperity they signify.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2018