OUR forest cover stands reduced owing to several reasons. This is despite the fact that we have enormous potential of increasing such a cover. Canada has 8,953 trees per person, Brazil has 1,491, China 102, and India 38. It is depressing that Pakistan has a mere five trees per person, and when it comes to Karachi, the horrible number is 0.35. Yes, 0.35 trees per person.

London, which is supposedly a modern ‘concrete jungle, has more than 21 per cent of its area under trees. Any land that has 20pc trees is called a forest, and London meets that criterion.

Fortunately for Karachi, we have dry Malir River which can be converted into a forest. We can use the construction of Malir Expressway, and make the contractor not only plant three rows of trees on either side with local fruit-bearing trees, like jaman, cheeko and guava, but also nurture them till the completion of the project.

Malir River snakes around the heart of the city, and travels some 36km before making a landfall into the Arabian Sea.

The average width of the river is 1km. This is an ideal opportunity to make it an urban forest of 36 square kilometres, corresponding to 8,892 acres.

The Changa Manga, one of the world’s largest man-made forests, occupies 12,515 acres, and has 14 species of trees and more than 40 species of birds, animals and insects. If it can happen at Changa Manga, there is reason to believe that it can happen here as well.

If we convert Malir River into a forest, we will have more trees than the number of people in Karachi. The ratio of tree versus population would definitely increase manifold.

The annual monsoon will make water flow through the trees. The sewerage being used currently for growing vegetables will take care of the newly-planted trees. The forest will help subsoil water retention, and birds, animals, butterflies and honey bees will be attracted, decreasing Karachi’s overall temperature.

Moreover, it will provide New York’s Central Park-like facilities for enter-tainment-starved people of Karachi.

S. Nayyar Iqbal Raza
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2023