Karachi is in the grip of an environmental emergency, with trees being felled at an alarming rate. The city has lost thousands of trees due to unplanned urbanisation and infrastructure projects, exacerbating the effects of bigger environmental problems like global warming and air pollution. This is a big part of why the city has become so unbearably hot, as the lack of green spaces lead to an urban heat island effect.
Despite court rulings and regulations that restrict tree cutting unless necessary, green corridors all over the city are under threat from illegal cutting. The authorities need to enforce existing regulations more strictly and come up with better urban management strategies that prioritise green spaces.
Kashif Shayari
Karachi