خیبرپختونخواہ حکومت مزید 6 فیصد علاقہ جنگلات کے تحت لانے کی منصوبہ بندی کر رہی ہے۔۔۔ رپورٹ

KP govt plans to bring additional 6pc areas under forest cover - by AMJAD ALI SHAH

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has set target of bringing additional six percent areas under forests cover in the province.

With an objective to increase of forests by six percent, through converting 30,000 hectares additional land into forest annually, KP government has launched a green growth initiative. For which, a fast-track strategy was gradually evolving for efficient execution of the GGI in the province, said an official of provincial department of forest, while giving briefing to media persons about GGI, arranged by Journalists, Welfare, Safety and Development Foundation (JWSDF) at the department.

JWSDF delegation was accompanied by its chairman Ali Hazrat Bacha, along with other office bearers and media representatives. Chief Conservator Hashim Ali Khan, Tariq Khadim, Sub-divisional Forest officer Peshawar, forest department, Senior Instructor Mohammad Ibrar, and Coordinator Mohammad Arif also present during the briefing session.

About the main objective of GGI initiated by incumbent provincial government, Deputy Chief Conservator, Forest Department, Shabbir Hussain said the prime goal is to bring increase area of forest by 6 six percent, along with increase are of dense forest, having canopy above 50 percent up to 30 percent by enriching 9,000 hectors, and including regeneration over 18,000 hectares in forest annually.

Similarly, the official said the launching of billions tree Tsunami, is also part of GGI, under which around 1billion sapling will be planned across the province, while establishment of rules for Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) to assign carbon value to forests, conserving KP forests, as valued natural assets, and enforce ban on cutting down of trees in the province, are another prime objectives of GGI. 

Regarding the implementation of GGI, Shabbir Hussain said a fast-track strategy would formulate for forest development, with main focusing on bring additional areas under forest cover, carrying out enrichment planting and promote regeneration in poorly-stocked nature forests with 10-15 percent density. He further informed that GGI will also be catalyst to promote natural regeneration in forests having medium density around 26-50 percent density and scanty regeneration, besides strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction (DDR) through integrated watershed management in critical watershed. He maintained under the forest development strategy, the GGI will support to improve forest based livelihoods through improved Non-Timber Forest Plants (NTFP) management, ecotourism promotion and inducting entropies orientations, while it will also focus to promote research and education promotion planned adaptation.

Regarding the billion trees Tsumani project, the official said under the GGI, the afforesting target areas have been identified, under which around 1billion saplings will be planted during next five years.

About new forest developments, for fiscal year 2014-15, the official said a total worth of Rs.1241.00million schemes have been estimated, for which government has been allocated additional Rs.551.000million for next fiscal year. Similarly, in wildlife sector, Rs.260.00million schemes have been estimated, while additional Rs.108.00million earmarked in ADP 2014-15. For the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), a total of Rs.23.00million projects have been estimated, for which additional Rs.5.966million allocated for next fiscal period. (Report Business Recorder)