KARACHI, Feb 4: Highlighting population explosion and many other man-made troubles in Sindh, participants of a workshop called for measures on urgent basis to avert a possible ecological disaster. They observed that the damage already being caused to the ecology of Sindh had a directed impact on the water and forest resources of the province.

The workshop was held at the World Wildlife Fund Wetland Centre here on Tuesday to launch the Small Grants Programme sponsored by the European Commission and United Nations Development Programme. Ijaz Ali Shirazi, Advisor to the Chief Minister on Forest and Wildlife, was the chief guest.

The participants emphasized on adequacy and transparency of funding and proper management to ensure sustainability of relevant projects.

They stressed that the projects initiated for fresh plantation or rehabilitation of forest in the province should serve other purposes equally beneficial to the entire community.

The 2003-07 programme, funded by the EU and administered by the UNDP and executed through the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, compliments the Small Grants Programme. The funding is being made under the Global Environment Facility.

Mr Shirazi, speaking on the occasion, highlighted the importance of forests in any ecological system and appreciated inclusion of the tasks of rehabilitation, promotion and protection of coastal forests in the Small Grants Programme in the first phase of its operational activities across the country.

He pointed out that forests in the katcha land and Bela areas were under a serious threat over the years and required additional funding.

He said that the Sindh Forest Department, despite resource constraints, attempted to protect covered area. He urged the concerned communities to avail the opportunity and join the efforts which, he said, were closely linked with their very existence.

Shamsul Haq Memon, provincial Forest Secretary, spoke about the projects launched by the department over the past few years. They included plantation of Rhizophora (a mangroves variety) over different pieces of land ranging 1,200 to 6000 hectares besides rehabilitation of mangroves forests in Karachi, Keti Bunder and Shah Bunder areas.

He also referred to the 20-year Coastal Forest Management Plan as well as studies related to the protection and extension of jungles.

He hoped that under the Small Grants Programme, much could be done apart from forestry and that a multidimensional approach would be adopted to help people get involved and seek direct benefits.

Faiyyaz Baqar, Coordinator of the SGP, said the success of the scheme introduced some 10 years back to improve environment and ultimately socio-economic and health status of people belonging to selected sites in both rural and urban parts of the country provided impetus to start the promotion of forests schemes in the country.

Salimullah, PTF Coordinator of SGP for operations to promote tropical forests, said that Pakistan, despite not being in the tropical zone, was selected among the first six countries where the programme was being initiated.

Under the first phase (2003-04) the five year scheme, he said SGP PTF will only fund projects in the scrub forests of the Punjab and NWFP and mangrove zones of Balochistan and Sindh,

“Expansion to other vegetation zones may be considered in future calls for proposals,” he said.

During the period 2003 to 2004, the SGP PTF will provide small grants euro 20,000 to 100,000 to the non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations to undertake projects aimed at supporting and promoting community forestry.

The grants will fund up to 80 per cent of the total project cost while 20 per cent will be provided in cash or kind by the beneficiary. The duration of the proposed projects has been fixed at a maximum of three years.—APP