Saving trees

John Muir, regarded as the father of national parks, once said: “God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.”
Our foolhardy approach towards nature has resulted in the total area under forestation dwindle to just four percent, much lower than Asia’s benchmark of 20 percent. The recent urbanisation in major cities has compounded our woes. Adopting a humane approach towards trees is the need of the hour, especially after the massive devastation we have witnessed in Karachi. One should not wait for the government to take action, rather every individual should start of by planting a tree in his front yard or street. We not only need to inculcate a culture of tree plantation in our society but also to preserve the existing trees.
Hamza Bin Zahid Lodhi
Islamabad