Pakistan’s Massive Tree Planting Effort: A Step Towards Combating Climate Change and Boosting the Economy, Insha'Allah
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh! Pakistan has embarked on a huge tree planting initiative that’s become a key part of its plan to adapt to climate change, as shared by experts at a recent conference in Abu Dhabi.
Despite contributing less than one percent to global emissions, Pakistan is among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change. The country’s Green Pakistan Programme, which used to be called the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami, is its way of answering the call to protect the environment.
Asim Jamal, who manages the project for Pakistan with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), explained that the program started in 2019 in selected cities and has now spread across the country. The original goal was to plant three billion trees in four years, and so far, about 2.2 billion have been planted, Masha’Allah.
Pakistan’s diverse ecosystems-forests, rangelands, and river basins-have suffered from deforestation, illegal logging, and poor care for a long time. This project aims to restore those areas and at the same time create job opportunities. In fact, 2.2 million green jobs have been made, with young people taking 1.3 million of them, men about 874,634, and over 7,000 women joining in, Alhamdulillah.
These jobs include protecting forests, managing forest fires, and growing tree saplings. Because of how well this project is doing, the government decided to continue it for another four years with a budget of 70 million rupees (around $247,490).
Pakistan is facing serious environmental challenges like rising temperatures, heatwaves, and melting glaciers in the Himalayas, which increase the risk of sudden floods. This tree planting effort is a big part of the country’s response to these threats.
At the international conference, Pakistan shared its experiences with other countries, showing how nature restoration can happen even during tough economic and climate conditions. More private companies in Pakistan are also joining in to help with these green projects.
One example is Amir Iqbal, CEO of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, who has been working with IUCN for eight years, mainly in Tharparkar, a district in Sindh. He shared how they’re trying to make Tharparkar an area that meets the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Pakistan is one of the top five countries most affected by environmental issues, facing floods every few years. The 2022 floods affected 33 million people and caused economic losses over $40 billion. Even recently, floods displaced many people who still need help with housing, food, and clean water.
His company has planted 1.2 million trees in Tharparkar using drip irrigation, and about 72% of those trees have survived in this dry region that gets only 100 to 300 mm of rain yearly.
Pakistan will keep sharing its progress at future global environmental gatherings. The next part of the Green Pakistan Programme will include new planting areas and zones to protect the trees.
This project began during the leadership of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. May Allah guide all efforts to protect our earth and support those working hard to make a difference, Ameen.
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