ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari stressed the importance of a united response from the public to climate change by promoting the 'Green Pakistan Programme', as unpredictable weather patterns were causing disasters across the country, most recently in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where cloudburst-triggered flash floods led to significant damage.

"At this critical time, when climate change has already brought destruction to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country through floods and cloudbursts, we must act decisively to plant more and more trees," the president emphasised in his message on the occasion of the Monsoon tree plantation campaign.

The president stated that their united effort should focus on promoting the Green Pakistan Programme, a national plan to increase forest cover, restore damaged lands, rebalance nature, and support nature-based approaches.

"This is not simply about planting trees; it is about creating healthier communities, protecting livelihoods, and ensuring a climate-resilient future for generations to come," President Secretariat Press Wing, in a press release, quoted the president as saying. In this plantation campaign, the president urged all citizens to take part in this noble cause and plant saplings to build a greener, cleaner, and more prosperous Pakistan for generations to come.

President Zardari said the 18th of August marked the launch of a nationwide tree plantation drive at a time when Pakistan faced the harsh realities of climate change. This year, he said, between August and October, over 41 million saplings would be planted across Pakistan.

From cities to villages, and schools to government institutions, this campaign would reshape their landscapes, strengthen resilience against climate disasters, and kindle hope for a greener tomorrow, he added."Its success depends on collective responsibility.

Youth must lead as ambassadors of change, the media should inspire households, and farmers can protect both crops and the environment through tree plantation. Civil society, community leaders, and religious scholars must also motivate and encourage the people to plant trees as a national duty," the president further underlined.

The well-being and progress of any nation were grounded in the preservation of its forests and natural environment, he said, adding deforestation, rising temperatures, and frequent floods were challenges affecting millions of lives.

"With insufficient forest cover leaving our land vulnerable to disasters that endanger our economy, agriculture, and well-being, this campaign is not symbolic-it is an important step to safeguard Pakistan's future," the president added.

He further observed that trees were the lifeline of the environment and one of the strongest defenses against climate change, adding they cleaned the air they breathed, enriched the soil that fed them, regulated their climate, conserved their precious water resources, and provided shelter to countless species of life.

"Trees lower extreme temperatures, absorb rainwater, and reduce floods and landslides. Every tree planted is a shield against disaster and a source of life for generations," he added.

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 18 2025

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