Environment Ministry to launch mega forestry project: Bukhari
By Bushra Makhdoom

ISLAMABAD—Federal Minister for Environment, Local Government and Rural Development, Syed Wajid Hussain Bukhari has disclosed that Environment Ministry will soon launch a mega forestry project with the total cost of Rs. 12 billion.
Talking to a group of environmental protection specialist’s here on Sunday, Syed Wajid Hussain Bukhari has informed that 48 projects on climate change, sanitation and air pollution to achieve a target of six percent forestation area by 2015 are underway.
He said that Pakistan is facing negative consequences of climate change and without immediate action, global warming is set to reverse decades of social and economic progress across the country. Syed Wajid Hussain Bukhari maintained that climate change promises to be a significant issue in the forthcomming general elections, adding that future of Pakistan is in nation hands.
The time for doubt has passed and the threat of global warming is urgent, its time for people to rise above politics, if they want Islamic Republic of Pakistan to progress, he emphasized. The Minister said the unexpected weather changes from the last few years have greatly affected Pakistan’s economic, social and environmental conditions. Summers are getting hotter and prolonged as compared to previous years resulting in water shortages, he added.
Syed Wajid Hussain Bukhari pointed out that there has been an utter lack of water management and we have played a lot water politics, delaying the construction of intensely needed dams for power and irrigation. Installed capacities of both these sectors are fast depleting and rapidly refusing to meet our individual, industrial and agricultural requirements. With an expanding agricultural, industrial and commercial base, it can be said undoubtedly that water is our first need, he added.
Without managing the worlds most abundant and indispensable resource, he remarked, power and irrigation would not be available to Pakistan. Water generates the cheapest electricity and water is the only source of irrigation. However only dams tame the water to produce electricity and for much needed irrigation purposes, the Federal Minister made it clear.
Pakistan has been beset by numerous water related problems in the recent years i.e. a steady decrease in per capita water availability, financial inefficiency of agriculture, increasing need for drinking water, increasing need for sanitation, ascending graphs of competing interests of businesses related to agriculture and industry.
Bukhari, remarked that the debatable and disputed issues, which also make the construction of dams build into a controversy are sharing of water between the four provinces, that is from the grass root pool and distribution during shortage periods, contamination of water endangering quality, depletion and exhaustive of groundwater in intensively cropped areas and overpopulated urban centers, agriculture water shortages, the most controversial one that is bringing up a reservoir or reservoirs. While it is an established fact not only with regards to human life, but also for animals, birds, flora and fauna water is more than essential.
The Environment Minister remarked that human mind have developed various forms of technologies, utilizing science and talent to put the water waves in service of mankind. Dams are the most effective and potent of such innovations. Constructed by that simple method of raising earth and storing astounding quantities of water dams are a pick of human innovations and prowess.
There is no other therapy available to us as a nation, but to construct at least two dams within next five years. Our track record demonstrates an utter lack of understanding at the part of many governments and experts within, Syed Wajid Hussain Bukhari pointed out.
The Federal Minister said the water demands of Pakistan mainly depend upon Indus and its tributaries that are fed by glacier systems in Hindukush and Himalayas, which are believed to be diminishing over the last few decades.