As we celebrate another Independence Day, Pakistan’s 77th, it is high time we shift our focus from our usual glorification of the past to reflect on the challenges facing us right now, and what needs to be done to ensure a prosperous future. Let us move away from symbolic celebrations towards meaningful actions, if we really care for our country and cherish our independence.

All the problems that Pakistan and its citizens face require urgent action from both the government and ourselves, otherwise things will get too out of hand to be repairable.

It is impractical to talk about all the problems all at once, but we can look into those that can easily be solved by us on an individual level. And one of the most critical of those problems whose solution lies with us is climate change.

Climate change is a threat the whole world is facing and Pakistan, particularly, is feeling the heat of it. It is a pressing threat to our environment and the future generations. While the issue is a global one, do you realise that the solution is in our hands, literally. Yes, we can help tackle the change in climate by planting more trees to make Pakistan greener and more resilient to adverse weather conditions.

By pursuing progress and urbanisation, much damage to the environment has been done. The actions of the past have caught up with us today, which is why summer temperatures are more intense, especially in the urban centres where there are no or few green spaces or trees. Deforestation in the countryside and the frequency of extreme weather events have increased the occurrence of floods, landslides and droughts. Our wildlife and biodiversity are under threat, as are agriculture, water resources and the livelihoods of millions of people.

But we can fix all this. Yes, together, we can make Pakistan greener. This has been done in many places around the world and we can do it too. All we need to do is plant more trees — at least one tree, once a year, by each one of us. It doesn’t matter where you live, whether in the lush green hills of Swat or the concrete jungle of Karachi, there is always a vacant place where a tree sapling can be planted.

Remember the government’s initiative, ‘Ten Billion Tree Tsunami’, undertaken some years ago? I don’t know how many trees actually got planted, but a good number were. But that’s not enough, since what will actually make a difference to us, you and I, is when we plant a tree near us, in our neighbourhood, and see our surrounding turn green in a few years. And as the number of trees around us increase, we will also see a difference in the temperature and eventually the weather.

So on this Independence Day, I urge you to not waste your pocket money, or your parent’s hard earned one, on things like flags, green patriotic-themed dresses, buntings, fireworks and festivities. These will not make a meaningful difference to our country. Materialistic expressions do not define our patriotism, but our practical consequential steps do. Use this money instead to plant more trees and start a tree-planting campaign that is on-going. While the decoration you put on your house on Independence Day will disappear in a few days, the tree you plant will only grow bigger, making you feel proud of having done something impactful for your country. Moreover, trees and plants add natural beauty to their surroundings, so these decorations are long lasting and more pleasing than anything man-made.

So let us all pledge on this Independence Day to plant trees around us, and keep on planting more, for our own selves and for our future generations.

How trees fight climate change

To really care about what we do, we need to know its importance. And while we all know the obvious reasons why trees are important, there is no harm in going through them once again.

By absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, trees give off oxygen, which we breathe. This improves the air quality and reduces greenhouse effect. Trees support wildlife and form a natural barrier against landslides and flooding. Deforestation leads to erosion of soil and decreases water retention in the soil.

There are many more problems that arise due to cutting down of trees that only planting of trees can resolve. You can read up on your own about this — more knowledge is as good as more trees!

Create your green team!

Selecting a suitable spot, preparing the soil, choosing and buying the right sapling, then planting and caring for it can be done by an adult on their own, but youngsters needs some support. So get your family and friends on board to join your tree planting campaign.

While there is always strength in numbers, do not be disheartened if you don’t get too many people joining you in this effort, and you don’t have to waste too much time in collecting a large crowd before starting. Just have your parent’s permission and an elder’s presence, and you are good to go.

And, trust me, when others see your doing this, they will be intrigued and inspired, and will join you or start their own tree planting campaign.

Plant a sapling in your own backyard

Look for the nearest spot around your house where a tree can be planted. Those living in apartments shouldn’t give up before starting, because there will be a few empty spots in the apartment’s compound or by its boundary wall, where a tree can grow. If the selected spot is a common space, make sure you have the permission from the other stakeholders, otherwise if it is just the roadside, go ahead, but make sure it is not obstructing any utilities connections or power lines.

Once the spot has been chosen, you should prepare the soil to make it healthy enough to support the plant’s initial growth. You can ask a gardener for help, or you can do it yourself by adding compost, which is the food that all saplings need to become strong.

Choose native species that are suitable for the local climate and soil conditions, as well as have beneficial for the environment, such as neem, peepal and banyan. You can also plant a fruit tree, like mango, lemon, coconut, papaya and many more. They will not just turn the environment green, but also provide you with ‘fruits’ of your labour to enjoy!

Flowering trees such as golden shower (cassia fistula) and gulmohar (delonix regia), are so beautiful to behold and very easy to plant and care for. And they grow well in most places in Pakistan.

Join a local tree planting campaign

There are many organisations that have tree planting campaigns going on for years. Find out about one in your area and join them. The benefit of this will be that they have already done the homework and laid the ground for a green revolution, so it is likely that they will guide you and even offer volunteers, who are experts in tree planting, to help you turn your neighbourhood green. In addition, you can join them and help in their efforts in other areas, or raise funds for them.

By working together, you can make a significant impact in your area.

Support green campaigns

Funds are needed by organisations working on reforestation and afforestation projects. Donate to them and engage in fund-raising for their cause. This is a sadaqah jariyah that many people are eager to support.

Get your school on board

With schools starting soon, you can talk with the teachers and students, and start an environment awareness club, with activities involving tree planting, spreading awareness about environmental issues and their solutions, and organising events and programmes to plant trees, have cleaning drives, etc.

Urge your school authorities to plant trees within and around your school. I am sure when the teachers see your enthusiasm, they will be more than willing to help you in your green Pakistan campaign.

Raise awareness

Be the voice of the change you want to bring. Share about it on social media, instead of just your shopping and snacking pictures. Talk about it with your friends and neighbours, and don’t stop raising awareness until solid change starts to take place.

Make it more fashionable to plant a tree and being an environmentalist, than eating at a luxury café or taking a holiday abroad. Trends are started by people, be that person who makes tree planting trendy by posting reels after reels of the sapling you plant and its progress. One fine day, you will wake up and find others have caught on and are planting trees and posting about it too.

So as you plan your celebrations this year, think of what you can do for your country to make it greener and leave a lasting impact for the future generations. A few decades from now, make sure that the youth then talks with pride about your efforts, just as today we talk about the efforts of your founding fathers. Become the founding members of a green movement in Pakistan and set it free from the harsh effects of climate change.

Happy tree planting and a very happy Independence Day!

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 10th, 2024