Islamabad
Pakistan despite the least contributor to global green house gases emissions, has been bearing the burden of erratic natural disasters and environmental degradation whereas its initiative to host World Environment Day was its recognition as international leader in Nature Based Solution and Eco-System Restoration Initiative.
The country has been persistently among the top ten countries facing adverse impacts of climate change in terms of recurring natural calamities and increased vulnerability due to climate change, said a global environmental watchdog German Watch.
The government of Pakistan has achieved promising milestones with regards to nature conservation, climate action and community development along with gender inclusive strategies within it’s available limited resources providing equal opportunities to women of the most vulnerable areas facing environmental degradation.
In order to showcase its nature based solutions and novel ecosystem restoration, it had announced to host World Environment Day 2021 in partnership with UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on 5th June 2021.
The UNEP approached Pakistan for hosting the UN Environment Day 2021 in recognition of the Prime Minister’s Speech during the high ambitious coalition of Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and also considering Pakistan’s global recognition as international leader in Nature Based Solution and Eco-System Restoration initiatives like Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation, and Protected Area Initiative.
This year’s theme of World Environment Day will be ‘ecosystem restoration’ with focus on resetting our relationship with nature.
It will also mark the formal launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021 – 2030.
Hosting of “World Environment Day” in Pakistan will bring positive projections for the country providing an opportunity to highlight its commitment and achievement on a global scale to showcase its climate change and environmental protection activities.
The major initiatives for ecosystem restoration taken by the government to mitigate the effects of environmental degradation include 12 different interventions ranging from the Prime Minister’s flagship Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (TBTTP), Green Economic Stimulus to National Adaptation Plan and Clean Green Index and Champions project.
The TBTTP project was built on highly successful initiative of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or KP’s Billion Trees Afforestation Project (BTAP).
The outcomes of BTAP have been duly acknowledged by World Economic Forum, United Nations Environment Programme, Bonn Challenge and other international bodies and fora.
Following the success and confirmation by the independent monitors, Government of Pakistan decided to set a goal of 10 Billion Tree Plantation across the country.—APP
