It’s a pleasure to know that the ecosystem restoration effort under Clifton Urban Forest started in January 2021, is now a tremendous success. On 5th October 2020, when Masood Lohar came to my office seeking permission to initiate an urban forest on a land which was a debris and garbage dump site, I was a bit apprehensive and cynical. A little while later, when things began to take shape, I, along with the Chief Minister Sindh and Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto took personal interest to make this project a successful model which can be replicated anywhere in the world. Today, Alhamdolillah, we have 600,000 trees and 83 different species of plants, a freshwater lake with two species of water lilies and lotus, as well as a lagoon where three walls of 500,000 mangroves now provide protection and make this portion of Clifton resilient against tsunamis and cyclones, and also add value to marine ecosystem restoration. Aquatic birds including Moorhen, Plovers, Black winged stilt, Lapwing and terrestrial birds including Scaly-breasted munia, Plain Prinia, Bulbul, Mynah, Indian silver bill and doves have started nesting and breeding here. Together, we can restore our ecosystem and make our country green and prosperous through such projects.
