Naveed Ahmed Khan
PAKISTAN has taken this initiative to overcome the excessive degradation of forests and wildlife resource through sustainable management approach. The present initiative is built on the successful and powerful initiative to plant Billion Trees under the Billion Trees Afforestation Project (BTAP) by the then government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in 2015. The outcomes of BTAP have been duly acknowledged by United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Bonn Challenge and other international bodies and fora.One of a success stories of BTAP is depicted in following figure 1 & 2.
In consultation with provincial governments, it was decided to set a goal of Ten Billion Tree Plantation, in a phased manner, across country. The project is expected to deliver dividend in preserving atmosphere, reducing greenhouse gas effects, decrease intensity of random floods, lowering rains, droughts and enhancing other biodiversity supportive actions.The initiative not only includes tree planting / regeneration but also supports implementation of target 15 of the Sustainable Development Goals by preventing degradation of forestland and improving aquifer.
Prime Minister of Pakistan inaugurated the ‘Ten Billion Trees Tsunami Programme’ on 2ndSeptember, 2018 during ‘Plant for Pakistan Day’ event.The main objective of the project is to facilitate transition towards environmentally resilient Pakistan by main streaming notions of adaptation and mitigation through ecologically targeted initiatives covering afforestation, biodiversity conservation and enabling policy environment.
Programme Components
Enhancement of forest cover: The Phase-I of this component of the Programme focuses on enhancement of the forest cover by adding 3.29 billion indigenous plants through afforestation, reforestation and regeneration over next four years to curb the impacts of climate change.
Priority areas for plantation are as under:
a. Conservation and enhancement of natural forests through assisted natural regeneration; b. Road and canal side plantation; c. Rehabilitation and re-stocking of historical plantations; d. Restoration and improvement of scrub forests; e. Increase in existing cover of mangrove forests; f. Watershed and soil conservation in hilly and river catchment areas (reserved as well as community forests); g. Rehabilitation of guzara and protected forests and
h. Protection and augmentation of dry temperate forests
Biodiversity Conservation:
The challenges to wildlife protection and preservation will be overcome through improvement and effective implementation of wildlife legislations and institutional strengthening as under:
a. Enhanced management of Protected Areas (Biosphere Reserve/ National Parks) with special focus on Eco-tourism (at least one in each province/territory) on international standards; b. Establishment or Up gradation of existing Zoo on international standards (at least one in each province/territory); c. Revival of Critically Endangered Habitats (at least one habitat in each province/territory); d. Improvements of Wildlife related Legislations and its implementation; e. Curbing of illegal wildlife trafficking through establishment of control desks in international/national airports; f. Rehabilitation/ Rescue Centers for Confiscated Wildlife in each province/ territory; g. Zero plastic in protected areas; h. Liaison between Wildlife Departments and Universities and I. Rehabilitation of forest covers in Man and the Biosphere (MAB) reserves and intervention for declaration of more MAB reserves, which are in pipeline.
