Deforestation and desertification are just some of Pakistan's environmental problems, according to the latest edition of the CIA World Fact Book.

Deforestation and desertification lead to landslides and drought. That means that the drought that hit Pakistan last year, for example, could have been avoided or at least minimized by two actions: planting trees and building forests.

Treeplanting is not an activity reserved only for the environmentally conscious of the West. Rather, it is a sustainable and easy way to improve our environment, whether we are living in the United States or Pakistan.

Trees helps attract clouds for rain, helps to reduce the amount of carbon monoxide in the air which reduces global warming, it slows the rate of desertification. Trees help recharge ground water and sustain streamflow. .trees have a positive impact on the incidence of asthma, skin cancer and stress-related illness by filtering polluted air, reducing smog formation, shading out solar radiation and by providing an attractive, calming setting for recreation.trees strengthen neighbourhood communities by providing people with an opportunity to work together for the benefit of the local environment.trees play a vital role in the urban ecosystem, by helping to support a great variety of wildlife which people can enjoy close to home.

You can encourage a treeplanting project in Pakistan to help slow the process of deforestation and desertification there. Here are some ideas of how you can do this:

1. Read up on deforestation, desertification and how to plant trees. Get this information translated into Urdu or find a website that has already done this (like www.edu.sdnpk.org).

2. If you have a relative or friend in Pakistan who owns land, tell them about your idea. Send them the reading material you've acquired about treeplanting and its benefits to convince them of the need to put this project in place. Then ask if they can donate a chunk of their land to create a mini-forest of trees that can help the environment.

3. Once they agree, get in touch with a farmer or other environmental expert who can examine the soil and decide which trees would be most suitable to grow in that area.

4. This step may require you to be in Pakistan, or you can delegate it to a trustworthy person who can get the job done. Purchase the seedlings for the trees and plant them in the soil. Make sure to note down the price of the different types of seeds you purchase. This will come in handy once you get to tip number 9.

It would also be a good idea to put a fence around your mini-forest to protect it from being uprooted or destroyed by animals.

5. Get a core group of other people from the neighborhood to help out. Give them the material about treeplanting you've gotten translated, or better yet, call a neighborhood meeting explaining why you are doing what you are doing and the benefits of treeplanting, how it will be beneficial for all. Encourage attendees to help you with the patch of land you are working on, as well as devoting one section of their land to do the same.

6. Hire someone to tend your mini-forest while you are away from Pakistan. Once you're back in America, make sure to check up on the progress regularly. Don't just ask for phone updates, but also ask for photos that show the progress of your mini-jungle.

7. Make sure that no one cuts the trees you've planted. If they have to be cut for whatever reason, another seedling has to be planted in its place.

8. If the project goes well, and your relative or friend decides to be even more generous and devotes another piece of land for a mini-forest, then either visit Pakistan again, or contact your core group of treeplanters and delegate the responsibilities to begin treeplanting on this second piece of land.

9. Collect money from Pakistani-Americans to buy the seedlings and equipment for treeplanting . You can do this informally, by asking family and friends, or even better, you can contact your local Pakistani-American association for help. Explain to them that you've started this project in Pakistan and that you'd like to share this information with other local Pakistanis, as well as collect funds to support it.

You can also set up a "sponsor a tree" program, where a person can pay for the planting of one tree, one hundred or more. This is a good way to encourage people from all income levels to contribute.

10. If the association agrees, make sure to bring plenty of photos of people involved in the treeplanting, as well as those which show the progress from seedlings to a mini jungle. Also explain the benefits of this project for the average Pakistani and for the country's environment, as well as treeplanting's role in helping avert droughts and desertification.

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Date/Time Last Modified: 6/17/2002 3:49:07 PM

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