Making Karachi A ‘Greener Desert ?
Posted by Unknown in Bio-Diversity, Pakistan, Plantation, Tree on Wednesday 8 May 2013
By Amar Guriro
KARACHI:
Former City District Government Karachi (CDGK), which planned in its
Karachi Comprehensive Plan (KCP) 2008 to plant a variety of trees for
better environment, had instead planted only a single species, the
Conocarpus. Forest experts are terming it as monoculture and warned of
adverse impacts on city's general atmosphere.
A detailed plan
for greener Karachi, under the title "Forestation, Aesthetic Plantation
and Landscaping Study-Karachi Comprehensive Plan", made by former
Conservator, Sindh Forest Department, Dr GR Keerio in October 2008 made
proposals worth an estimated Rs8.34 billion.
Three aspects
were planned to be covered under the KCP including forestation,
aesthetic-plantation and landscaping; in order to beautify the city,
increase tree cover, apply modern landscaping techniques, encourage farm
and social forestry in and around city to check green house effect,
minimise threats to ecological integrity through carbon sequestration
and improve bio-geochemical processes.
The outputs of
the plan were kept for substantial and sustainable environmental
benefits besides beautification of city. The official documents, which
this scribe acquired from the officials of the former CDGK, reveal that
under the KCP more than a dozens species of different indigenous trees
and shrubs were selected for plantation.
The city
government had planned to plant a variety of trees in the city, which
include Plaksa tree (Pipal), Banyan, Coconut, Margosa (Neem) Tree and
tropical tree species such as Siris, Rain tree, Ashoka, Amaltas and
other Cassia species, Terminalia (Indian Badam), Peltophorum (Copper
pod), Gulmohar, Palm trees, Molseri and also Lignum vitae. But instead
of planting all these trees, the officials introduced only a single
tree, a foreign species, the Conocarpus, which is actually a mangrove
specie and is imported from Ethiopia.
According to
experts, Conocarpus will bring adverse impacts on city's general
environment. Muhammad Moazzam Khan, the fisheries consultant for World
Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Pakistan, quoting international studies said
that Conocarpus is notorious plant specie for causing droughts in
several regions. "In future Conocarpus will start releasing pollen,
which will cause pollen allergy just like Islamabad," he said.
Environmentalists
and experts like renowned forester Gobind Menghwar term the plantation
of single specie on a massive scale as monoculture.
"Each plant
specie has its own time to grow, some are fast and others are slow
growing trees, like Sheesham tree takes 22 years to be fully grown,
while Eucalyptus can grow in four to six years. The problem in planting a
single specie is, in case of any plant disease, the entire lot will get
affected. So it is better to introduce a variety of trees," said
Menghwar.
Talking about
the importance of differences in species, he said that some trees have
thorns, that if planted on roadsides, maybe hazardous for vehicles and
passersby both. "If we plant fruit trees on roadsides, that too can
cause traffic accidents. Especially when people try to pick fruits. The
best trees for highways are the ones with a crown, that blocks light
from opposite direction," he informed.
Talking about
the negative impacts of monoculture, International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) official Nadeem Mirbahar said it also
affects bird population in the city. "Monoculture creates a similar
environment, hindering bird population, forcing them to migrate, since
different birds have varying nesting habits and prefer different trees,"
said Mirbahar.
It is worth
mentioning that when administrator Karachi Metropolitan Corporation
(KMC) Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi was contacted to get an official version,
he said that the plan was initiated long before his appointment, so he
cannot comment on it.
