The Sindh Forest Department is once again aiming at the 3rd Guinness World Record by planting the maximum number of mangrove saplings during the daylight hours in Keti Bunder, Thatta District, on April 19, 2018. Guinness World Records is a universally recognized authority on the cataloguing and verification of a huge number of world records – the organization employs official record adjudicators authorized to verify the setting and breaking of records.
The second Guinness World Record was clinched by the Sindh Forest Department by planting 847,275 saplings at Kharo Chaan on June 22, 2013. Earlier, the Sindh Forest Department in 2009 had set a record by planting 541,176 saplings in Keti Bunder, which was overturned by India in 2010 by planting 611,000 saplings and again in 2013 Pakistan regained this title in 2013. As per the guidelines mandated by the adjudicators at the Guinness World Records, the record has to be set by 300 volunteers only during the daylight hours.
The overall purpose of the activity is to raise the significance of the Indus Delta mangroves, its affiliated biodiversity and above all, the dependent coastal communities on this fragile and vulnerable ecosystem. The previous Guinness World Record set in 2009 is an example that events such as these can bring positive change in the local communities. The other aspect of this activity is to earn an international recognition vis-à-vis the plantation of hundreds of thousands of mangroves in a country, which is facing a severe loss of forest cover. Mangroves act as a natural defense line against natural disasters such as sea storms and cyclones. They are home to an array of marine life and are also known as incredible carbon sequesters.
A large number of government officials and media personnel are attending this mega environmental event.
This activity is being organized under the Sindh Forest Department and IUCN Pakistan has been working as an implementation partner in mangroves restoration project on the Sindh coast and is the media facilitator for the Guinness World Records event.
It is imperative to draw attention to Sindh’s vibrant and rich coastline, which stretches over 350 kilometers. Indus delta with its outstanding ecological and cultural significance occupies a significant area along the coast of Pakistan. The coastal areas are one of the most neglected and least advantaged in Pakistan.
For more information, please contact:
George Sadiq, Programme Officer, Education Communication and Outreach, Cell: 0303-333-2127, email: george.sadiq@iucn.org
