ISLAMABAD, Feb 5: President General Pervez Musharraf has asked the citizens to plant maximum number of trees on the occasion of spring tree plantation campaign 2003.

In a message on the occasion of the plantation campaign beginning from Thursday, the President also requested the corporate sector to earmark some of their resources towards tree plantation and assist the national agencies involved in such activities.

He said: “Let us devote our attention and energy to plant maximum number of saplings on farmlands and vacant spaces in educational institutions, along canals, roads and railway tracks in order to increase Pakistan’s tree wealth.”

“Survival of the planted saplings and their growth are important for sustainable tree cover in the country. I am happy to learn that the provincial forest departments have made arrangements to supply saplings at nominal rates,” he added.

Today, the president said, the nation was participating in the spring tree planting campaign to increase tree cover in Pakistan.

The aim of this campaign is to help improve the ecological and environmental conditions and increase the national wood resources.

Forests are important for the regulation of water, agricultural production, biodiversity conservation, power generation and to meet the household fuel wood and industrial timber requirements.

On account of escalating population growth, the supply and demand gap for wood and wood products was increasing adversely affecting the ecological stability of the country, the president added.

President Musharraf said in addition to this unchecked cutting of trees without taking adequate measures for their replacement has compounded the problem. It had led to forest degradation, which was the main cause of landslides, accelerated erosion, decreased hydropower production, drought and scarcity of water. These are the major threats to our food and economic security, he added.

“Nature has bestowed Pakistan with a conducive climate, complimented with excellent land and water for the expansion of its forest resources,” he said adding, “our farmers, students, local bodies and general public can play an important role to enhance tree cover through the active participation in tree plantation campaigns.” —APP