Forest policy soon

Islamabad: Already approved by the Council of Common Interest, the National Forest Policy is expected to be announced after approval by the cabinet, State Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul said on Friday.

The minister disclosed that 27 million plants had so far been planted across the country, including provinces and different territories, under the Green Pakistan Programme - Revival of Forest Resources in Pakistan. She said 100 million saplings would be planted under the Green Pakistan Programme - Revival of Forest Resources in Pakistan in the next five years at the cost of Rs3.652 billion.

The minister said her ministry had got $37.46 million funding from the Green Climate Fund for the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood project in the country's northern areas. She said the Clean Green Pakistan Movement was launched by the prime minister on Oct 8, 2018 and that the climate change ministry was coordinating its implementation in all provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.