Governor SBP inaugurates Polyculture Forest, Museum Laboratory

KARACHI: Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Dr. Reza Baqir on Tuesday inaugurated the Polyculture Forest at Pakistan Security Printing Corporation (PSPC) Karachi and a Paper Conservation Laboratory, ARY NEWS reported.

According to the SBP, he was briefed about the project in detail by the management. The Polyculture Forest is inspired by the incumbent government’s priority of encouraging people, communities, organizations, businesses, and civil society to collectively plant trees and thus play their part in improving climatic conditions.

The PSPC Polyculture Forest project envisages 5,000 square meters of “urban forest”, where about 15,000 saplings of 45 indigenous species will be planted using the “Miyawaki” method that involves planting dozens of native species in the same area.

The Miyawaki approach ensures rapid growth of plants; reportedly, plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual; moreover, the forest becomes maintenance-free after the first three years.

A mini lake for the project has also been developed to complement the Forest ecosystem and support aquatic life – plants, fish, and other creatures. The project also involves a micro-sprinkler irrigation system, which supplies only the required amount of water directly to the roots of trees.

When fully mature, PSPC Polyculture Forest would be absorbing 300-350 tons of CO2 per year.

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In his brief address on the occasion, the Governor stated that as part of State Bank and PSPC’s contribution towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals and care for the Environment, the PSPC Polyculture Forest, a green island in the urban concrete jungle of Karachi, is a gift for the entire community.

Furthermore, he appreciated the efforts of the entire PSPC team, especially to the numerous members, who worked day and night, even during the pandemic, and made this innovative project a reality.

Later, the Governor also inaugurated the SBP Paper Conservation Laboratory. After the inauguration, he conducted a tour of the facility and appreciated the work done by the staff.