PESHAWAR
\nAmidst intensifying climate challenges, environmentalists and forestry experts are urging city planners and the public to embrace a simple but powerful solution such as planting native canopy trees to call rains to beat rising temperatures.
\nExoerts said these green giants not only purify the air and provide shade, but also help cool cities and may even encourage rainfall to combat air pollution.
\n\u201cCanopy trees like Siris, Pipal, Bakin, and Shisham are nature\u2019s air conditioners,\u201d said Gulzar Rehman, former Conservator of Forests Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), in a conversation with APP.
\n\u201cCutting them down for housing schemes and urban expansion has left cities like Peshawar choking on heat and air pollution.\u201d
\nOnce blessed with rich forest cover and biodiversity, Peshawar is now reeling from the environmental cost of rapid urbanization. Historic accounts like Tuzk-e-Babari, the memoir of Emperor Babar, speak of thick forests and abundant wildlife around the city.
\nToday, the view from Surey Bridge offers a stark contrast: a grey haze of pollution hovering over buildings, once a lush green canopy now reduced to concrete.
\nAccording to Gulzar Rehman, Pakistan is home to over 200 native tree species and nine unique forest ecosystems, many found nowhere else in the world.
\n\u201cA single healthy canopy tree can supply oxygen to four people and absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide daily,\u201d he said. In fact, just one hectare of such trees can trap six to eight tons of CO\u2082 every day.
\nThis becomes all the more critical as Peshawar and other urban centers face a dangerous rise in PM2.5 \u2014 fine particulate matter that poses serious health risks.
\nMuhammad Irshad, Chief Analyst at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) KP, explained that PM2.5 particles are small enough to bypass the body\u2019s defenses, settling deep in the lungs and bloodstream, causing heart attacks, strokes, and chronic respiratory diseases.
\n\u201cEPA studies found PM2.5 levels in Peshawar up to 52 micrograms per cubic meter \u2014 over three times the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) limit of 15 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3,\u201d said Irshad.
\n\u201cThese pollutants can stay suspended in the air for hours, even days, and the only sustainable solution lies in planting and preserving canopy trees which naturally filter them.\u201d
\nWhile the provincial government launches seasonal plantation drives, experts highlight systemic flaws in tree selection, care, and follow-up.
\nWajid Ali, former KP Forest Minister, criticized the preference for ornamental or non-native species over cost-effective and hardy indigenous trees.
\n\u201cWe saw failed attempts to plant date palms on the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway, despite past failures in Islamabad\u2019s Blue Area. These species simply aren\u2019t suited to the region\u2019s climate,\u201d he said.
\nIn addition, Peshawar\u2019s native birds and aquatic life are dwindling. Once a haven for Cranes and the Houbara Bustard, Peshawar\u2019s outskirts are now quiet. Rivers Swat and Kabul have also seen a sharp decline in Mahseer and Trout populations, both affected by warming waters and polluted runoff.
\n\u201cNot all is bleak. The 10 Billion Trees Tsunami Project, led by the KP government, has shown promise,\u201d said Diyar Khan, Project Director 10 billion trees project.
\nHe said that first man-made forest in KP \u2014 modeled after Changa Manga \u2014 was established in Ghari Chandan near Peshawar. \u201cMillions of native saplings, particularly canopy species, have been planted to combat heat, reduce pollution, and help bring back rainfall patterns,\u201d he shared.
\nThe government is now scaling this initiative through the \u2018Billion Trees Plus\u2019 program, prioritizing canopy trees to fight urban heat and restore ecological balance. These efforts, though monumental, need sustained public support, expert guidance, and political will.
\nCanopy trees are not just green ornaments \u2014 they are lifelines for overheated, overbuilt cities. Their roots hold more than soil and hold the promise of clean air, cool shade, and even the possibility of rain.
\nAs KP\u2019s environmental future hangs in the balance, the message from experts is clear: plant canopy trees, and let the skies respond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR Amidst intensifying climate challenges, environmentalists and forestry experts are urging city planners and the public to embrace a simple but powerful solution such as planting native canopy trees to call rains to beat rising temperatures. Exoerts said these green giants not only purify the air and provide shade, but also help cool cities and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-480982","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-peshawar"},"yoast_head":"\n