Will 10 billion trees be enough to transform one of the most populous countries in the world?
Will these trees be able to sustain themselves in the long run?
Are they generating the bio-diversity needed additionally to address our environmental concerns?
In the last few years, thousands of people in Karachi have suffered and died because of the severe heat wave that strikes the city every summers. When Lahoris go out in the winters these days, the burning sensation they feel in their eyes is because of smog, rendering Lahore to become one of the most polluted cities of the world in the latest survey (ExpressTribune).If it’s a Naya Pakistan that we all want and the incumbent government promises to provide, it simply has to be a greener one than before.
Planting trees should be undertaken smartly and here are the 2 major steps that you can undertake to combat our environmental changes:
- PLANT FORESTS!
- SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT YOUR PLANTATION
1. Planting forests…
Forests grow 10x faster and are 30x more dense
They develop a network of micro-organisms and root mesh underground that renders soil fertile
They attract wildlife and habilitate them
They can become self-sufficient after 3 years
In short, they build and develop an eco-system that is essential to combat our environmental concerns!
Don’t believe us? Here’s evidence:
Social entrepreneur Shubendu Sharma from India is an industrial engineer by profession, who got inspired by Dr. Akira Miyawaki when the latter was tasked to transform Toyota’s industrial plant. Having first experimented on his own back yard, Sharma has now founded Afforestt, the company that installs urban forests in areas as small as your bedroom. This month, Sharma was invited to Pakistan to pass on his prowess in Dream Gardens in Lahore, inspiring all those involved with his passion for this dire environmental need we call forestation. Only less than 2 years, he spear-headed an Urban Forest in Dream Gardens and here’s is what it now looks like:
Feeling inspired? Why not start from your own garden?
Thankfully, a lot of Social Enterprises and business are at work to take up turn-key projects or offer consultancy and you can always reach out to them and maybe adopt a park or area to plant an urban forest. Here are some:
A. The Lahore Conservation Society, the organization started by acclaimed architects Nayar Ali Dada and Kamil Khan Mumtaz, work on the rehabilitation and preservation of the heritage of Lahore, and since greenery is one of Lahore’s many lost treasures, it is working on restoring Lahore’s vegetation.
B. Urban Forest, led by Shehzad Qureshi, is a social enterprise that has now worked on projects in both Karachi and Lahore, builds urban forests, based on the technique coined and mastered by Dr. Akira Miyawaki, where small forests are made in urban dwellings, The first of its kind in Pakistan. You can learn more about his method here:
2. Spreading awareness about your plantation…
For the first time in Pakistan, Plantify is a plantation counting application, that encourages you to not only lend your hand in making your surroundings greener, but also lets you invite others to do the same!
It’s very simple:
- Download the application from the PlayStore (only available on Android for now)
- Create an account and log in.
- Plant your first tree.
- Take a picture of your plantation, add information about it and geo-mark it on the Plantify Map.
- Upload its details on social media and invite your friends to do the same..
Through these 2 easy steps, you will contribute in making Pakistan greener and more environmentally friendly than ever before. Make sure you check out the websites of the aforementioned social enterprises to get in touch and see how you can help their cause.
Urban Forest: www.urbanforest.pk
Lahore Conservation Society: www.lcs.org.pk
Afforestt: www.afforestt.com