Urban Forestry for Sustainable Environs

Acknowledging the federal government’s endeavours to increase forestation via the Rs. 3.6 billion Green Pakistan Program, the Sindh government plans to provide incentives to promote forestation. Forests have significant benefits as they not only improve physical and mental health of human beings but also provide medicinal plants, regulating water, controlling soil erosion, natural climate resilient safety nets and controlling infectious disease.

In a bid to restore Sindh’s ecology in line with international agreements, the Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah in a meeting last week with the Federal Environment Minister Zahid Hamid, vows to expand and protect forests, natural habitats and watersheds besides making them sustainable. The kinds of forestry to be expanded include farm,  commercial, industrial and specifically urban forestry. 

With the massacre of greenery to accommodate big concrete structures, the government turned a blind eye towards the decreasing number of trees in the city. Cities across the world have used urban forestry as a means to reduce air pollution, as trees absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants and as a result make air cleaner to breathe. It is high time that Karachi does the same.

As a matter of fact in Karachi, which is a concrete jungle and where even parks are encroached and replaced with tall plazas on the name of development, urban forestry can be a solution to the city’s air problem.  Every country or city nearly must have 20% to 25% trees for sustainable development therefore there’s a direct link between the number of trees and the quality of air as trees are natural cleaners of pollutants.

In Karachi, where many people work outdoors, exposure to heat can have negative health effects. Contact with heat causes electrolyte misbalance – fluctuation of fluids in our body due to deficiency or overabundance of essential minerals – and trees reduce chances for this as well as of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

To maximise the impact of green cover in cleaning the air, trees should be planted near main traffic corridors, railway tracks and highways. Indigenous species can be planted to reduce the cost as they require less care. Karachi defintely have  shortage of water and that’s why the native trees are ideal because they need water only during the starting phase. Once fully grown, they survive on their own.

On the other hand selection of right tree is also important. However, all the civic bodies of the city have been planting  the specie of Conocarpus, which is a not a good kind of choice. A study of University of Karachi  revealed the species’ pollens were found in the city air in high quantity and was one of the causes for asthma.  There are  diverse species such as neem, peepal and gulmohar among others, which are indigenous and have been thriving in Karachi for many years. They are also low-maintenance and are good for the environment.

Similarly the mangrove forests have their own significance along side the coastal belt of Karachi. The Green Pakistan Program specially emphasizes on mangroves not only in Karachi but also along side Indus delta, creeks and other coastal areas of the province of Sindh. 

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Editorial, Infocus