WWF-Pakistan pledges to plant 1.4 million trees by August 2019

LAHORE: WWF-Pakistan has pledged to plant 1.4 million trees by August 2019 through the active participation of different stakeholders, local communities and passionate individuals.

The campaign, titled “Rung Do Pakistan”, is an opportunity for all Pakistanis to come together and play their part in contributing positively towards protecting the ecosystem and to help WWF-Pakistan either by planting native tree species wherever they are or by donating to the organisation so that it may fulfil its promise to the nation.

In the first phase of the campaign WWF-Pakistan and Call the Band, WWF-Pakistan’s Goodwill Ambassadors, are partnering for one of the country’s biggest video collaboration in history. The music video would showcase the diversity of Pakistan and will encourage individual action to plant trees across Pakistan. To date, a total of 70 cities and villages with 50 videographers are on board. Supporters are already sending in photos of them planting saplings with the hashtag #MarkYourselfGreen and are nominating their friends and family to do the same.

In the second phase of the campaign, WWF-Pakistan will launch its fundraising campaign where it will encourage individuals, corporations and partners to donate to the cause.

WWF-Pakistan Director General (DG) Hammad Naqi Khan said that when we speak about addressing environmental challenges, often the suggested solutions require policy changes at the government level. “But what sets this campaign apart is that this time the people of Pakistan want to bring about a measurable change by a simple act of planting a tree,” he added.

Talking about the campaign, he said that they were encouraging individual action to plant trees in cities and villages across the length and breadth of the country. Khan further shared that WWF-Pakistan is stressing on only planting indigenous trees, which not only provide a shelter to various birds and insect species but benefit local ecosystems as well. He also appealed to citizens to plant more trees this year and help raise awareness about this cause.