Sahil Manzoor
Development is essential for every nation. While only a few countries today are economically strong and offer ample employment through beneficial schemes, others are steadily progressing. In the near future, many more nations may join the ranks of developing or developed countries.
With powerful and effective communication tools now available, business ideas can be exchanged seamlessly across the globe. Most trade-related deals are conducted virtually—through emails, messaging platforms, video conferencing, and more. For the progress of any nation, development in infrastructure—such as roads, transportation, trade, and commerce—is vital. At the same time, it is crucial to manage cities responsibly, keeping environmental concerns in mind.
Governments have established dedicated bodies to address environmental issues and regularly issue guidelines to safeguard natural resources. However, development should not be seen merely as the construction of massive tunnels, skyscrapers, highways, rail networks, and dams. True development requires proper planning, effective management, and inter-agency coordination—always considering environmental sustainability.
A proactive and intellectual workforce in the government sector works to resolve public grievances and ensure the delivery of basic amenities. In this context, I want to emphasize the importance of planting trees in cities and major business hubs, where traffic and human activity are particularly high.
With rising demands, traffic volumes continue to grow, significantly polluting the environment. Similarly, manufacturing industries release pollutants into the air, water, and soil. While we cannot halt industrial and urban activity overnight, we can certainly take steps to reduce the environmental damage it causes. One such solution is tree plantation—a simple yet effective measure to mitigate environmental risks.
The environment plays an indispensable role in our daily lives. It includes everything around us—plants, animals, birds, air, water bodies, and soil. Understanding the value of our environment is the first step toward protecting it. Unfortunately, many development activities—such as road widening, bridge and building construction, and the development of factories and hydroelectric projects—can harm the environment. For example, cutting down trees for construction can lead to soil erosion, which reduces soil fertility and increases the risk of flash floods.
How to maintain temperatures in cities
Cities, the heart of economic activity, often experience elevated temperatures. This is largely due to the emission of greenhouse gases from vehicles and industries. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to the urban heat island effect—making cities significantly warmer than their surrounding rural areas.
Managing cities sustainably is a critical responsibility for the administration. Key areas include maintaining clean air, preserving water bodies, building efficient drainage systems, and ensuring the safe disposal of solid waste from homes, hospitals, and businesses.
Tree plantation offers a natural and highly effective way to combat urban heat and pollution. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, help regulate temperature, and improve air quality. Planting more trees in urban areas can significantly cool the environment, reduce noise pollution, and even improve mental health and well-being among residents.
(The author is a freelancer and can be reached at [email protected])
