KARACHI: In a drive to motivate people to make the city green, 500 saplings, mostly of neem, were planted in Karachi University (KU) on Thursday.

The initiative was part of the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) nationwide plantation drive launched in collaboration with a fast-food chain.

Highlighting the event`s importance, KU registrar Dr Moazzam Khan said that it was not just the responsibility of the government, but also of every citizen to participate in plantation campaigns in order to create a better environment.

`Given the fact that the country is fast losing its native flora, there is a dire need to plant endangered and rare plant species. Local species are environmentally more beneficial,` he said, adding that the media could play a key role in educating people of how trees help humankind.

Asad Shahbaz Khan of the WWF-P said that trees are necessary to keep the world safe from the impacts of global warming and climate change. `The environmental, health and aesthetic benefits of trees are huge. Their presence has become more important for us due the recent unprecedented heatwave in Karachi that claimed the lives of more than a thousand people,` he said.

Saba Hassan, representing the fast-food chain, said one of the best ways to tackle extreme weather events was to carry out plantation activities across the country.