Efforts urged to end unchecked deforestation

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a workshop on Monday called for putting an end to merciless felling of trees and underscored the need for growing more saplings to counter the impacts of global warming.

The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organised the day-long session to highlight the issue of global warming and sensitise the people about the gravity of the situation.

Chairman PRCS Lt Gen (r) Muhammad Hamid Khan, Ubaidullah of Pakistan Research Council, Assistant Director Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Tajdar Khan and others attended the event.

The speakers said that the issue of global warming should be taken seriously and tackle the issue. They said the county was facing the threat of global warming and pre-emptive measures were needed to address this issue.

They said that deforestation and pollution were threatening the country’s environment and Pakistan would face shortage of drinking water in future if a policy was not framed and implemented to prevent wastage of water.

The melting of ice posed a constant threat of flash floods and would lead to shortage of water to irrigate fields and crops due to which the land would be become barren, they added.They asked the government to increase the budget for protecting the environment and called for growing more trees to tackle the issue of global warming and prevent natural disasters.