Emotional address by DG SEPA at tree-plantation ceremony calls for urgent, collective fight against ecological collapse

Emotional address by DG SEPA at tree-plantation ceremony calls for urgent, collective fight against ecological collapse

Karachi (Press Release) 3 December 2025

KU, SEPA pledge joint action for eco care

Emotional address by DG SEPA at tree-plantation ceremony calls for urgent, collective fight against ecological collapse

Karachi: Speaking at a post-plantation ceremony organised by the Department of Mass Communication, University of Karachi, Director General of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Waqar Hussain Phulpoto, warned that the planet now stands at a tipping point where its very survival is at stake. “Every single tree we plant today is a guarantee of breath for us, a shield for our children, and a healing for the wounds we have inflicted on the earth,” he said.

Trees do far more than absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, he explained. They lower urban temperatures by 4-6°C, prevent soil erosion, soften the impact of flash floods, recharge groundwater, and provide habitat for countless species. Citing global studies, he pointed out that more than half the world’s forests have vanished in the last fifty years. “If we continue at this pace, by 2050 there may not be enough clean air left for any of us to breathe.”

Mr Phulpoto stressed that tree plantation is the cheapest, most sustainable and nature-friendly answer to the three most alarming global crises of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss. Across Sindh, SEPA has planted well over two lakh native trees in partnership with businesses, universities, NGOs and local communities in recent years, with a documented survival rate of over 92 per cent. “These are not just numbers on paper; you can see the green cover growing on the ground,” he added.

Praising the Mass Communication Department’s plantation drive, the DG said students of journalism and media are the voice that can wake up the nation’s conscience. SEPA will fully back every grassroots environmental initiative and will supply the department with as many free saplings as needed for the ongoing drive. Beyond trees, the agency is ready to provide complete technical guidance, training workshops and site visits on scientific waste management, recycling plants, phasing out single-use plastic, water recycling and the use of treated wastewater for irrigation.

He suggested the mutual exchange of environmental database, joint research projects, workshops on climate journalism and support for achieving Green Campus certification. “Individual efforts are no longer enough,” he said. “Climate change is a global issue with local action that every institution, every student and every citizen must fight together. Every sapling planted here today carries oxygen, shade and hope for generations yet to come.”

Vice Chancellor of the University of Karachi, Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, welcomed SEPA’s offer of joint action within the campus and described it as a proud moment for the university. “The threats facing our planet can no longer be met with routine measures,” he said. “Every sector has to adopt sustainability on an emergency footing.” The university, he assured, is fully prepared to work with SEPA on joint initiatives for a Green Campus, zero-waste systems, recycling and environmental education. He urged students to make climate journalism their mission, reminding them that the pen remains the most powerful tool to wake up policymakers.

Earlier, Chairperson of the Department of Mass Communication, Prof Dr Asmat Ara, delivered the welcome address, outlined the plantation drive and thanked SEPA and all supporting organisations. Renowned environmental communicator Afia Salam, Assistant Professor Sameena Qureshi, senior journalists Mania Shakil and Sadia Obaid Khan also spoke, describing tree plantation as nothing less than an environmental co-action.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, chief guest Waqar Hussain Phulpoto and Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Iraqi planted trees alongside students and presented shields to faculty members, staff and students who played an outstanding role in the plantation campaign.

Public Relations Section, SEPA