Protection of country’s environment top priority for govt, says PM Imran – Pakistan

Prime Minister Imran Khan said Wednesday that the country's environmental protection is one of his government's top priorities.

Addressing the 7th Asian Regional Conservation Forum of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Islamabad, the Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan's natural diversity.

According to Pakistan RadioHe said the country has twelve ecological zones, from deserts to Himalayan forests, which are rare in the world. However, he noted that population growth and lack of interest in environmental protection in the past had devastated wildlife and forests in the country.

Read more: What is it like to suffer climate change in Pakistan?

Prime Minister Imran said Pakistan's Tehreek-i-Insaf government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the first to deal with climate change by launching the Billion Tree Tsunami project. He attributed to the local population the success of the initiative, as well as the action against the timber mafia in the province.

He said the federal government has now embarked on an ambitious plan to plant 10 billion trees. He announced that the government will now launch large tree planting campaigns throughout the country, as the necessary planning has been carried out and infrastructure has been developed, including nurseries in the first year.

Youth will drive this massive campaign, the prime minister said, announcing that environmental protection will also be part of the school's curriculum.

He said the government also decided to resort to a vertical expansion of cities. Regretting that Lahore's "70 percent" trees have been felled in the last 10 years, he said urban planners should be more aware of environmental protection.

Speaking about global efforts to address climate change, Prime Minister Imran regretted the decision of the United States to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

Speaking on the occasion, the IUCN president praised the government for launching the Tsunami project of 10 billion trees. He said he is impressed by the afforestation that took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last five years. He also thanked the mission and passion of Prime Minister Imran to address the issue of climate change.