Pakistan Navy launches national campaign for mangroves plantation

KARACHI: Pakistan Navy on Monday launched ‘Pakistan Navy – Mangroves Plantation Campaign 2017’ in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan on the eve of Independence Day.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah graced the occasion as chief guest and inaugurated Pakistan Navy Mangroves Plantation Campaign by planting sapling of mangroves.

The campaign entails an effort to plant over one million mangroves in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

While speaking on the occasion, the chief of the naval staff highlighted that deforestation of mangroves has not only affected biodiversity of our coastal areas but also livelihoods of coastal communities.

Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah elaborated that these campaigns will not only increase the mangrove forest cover but will also play a key role in awareness of masses about the importance of these forests.

The naval chief emphasized all the relevant federal, provincial institutions and all sections of the society to join hands for this noble cause. Emphasizing the importance of mangroves Zakaullah announced that the name of the campaign be changed to National Campaign for Mangroves Plantation 2017.

He said that independence is a great virtue. “Let us pledge that we will value it and we will perform our duties with complete honesty and we all will contribute in making this country greater,” he said.

Mangroves are vital to coastal ecosystem, prevention of sea intrusion and sustainment of marine life. Unfortunately over the years, mangroves along the Pakistani coast have diminished due to negligence and apathy of all concerned.

Being a major stakeholder of the maritime domain and realizing the importance of mangroves for marine life, Pakistan Navy has taken a major initiative to revive mangrove forests all along the coast, a press release stated.

Realizing the importance of mangroves forests in combating pollution, countering coastal erosion and providing a number of economic and financial opportunities to coastal communities, Pakistan Navy in line with the vision of the Federal Government regularly under takes Mangroves Plantation Campaigns.

Over one million mangroves saplings were planted last year with the collaboration of Forest Departments of Sindh & Balochistan, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Through these campaigns, not only more forests are raised but also the existing Mangroves forests can be conserved.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by a large number of senior military and civil officials including representatives from business community, journalists, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), officials from Federal and Provincial Forest Departments.