The government’s flagship project, Ten Billion Tree Programme,
will be a game changer for the climate and economy of Pakistan, if executed in
letter and spirit. Calling trees vital for the country’s future, Prime Minister
Imran Khan has suggested criminal cases and jail terms for mafias involved in
felling trees. Right now, the law provides a petty fine for offenders. Over the
decades, acres of forest, spreading across the country, most of which were
developed by the British Raj, have disappeared thanks to weak laws and the power
of timber mafias. The prime minister recalled his childhood memories when thick,
green jungles of Kundian, near his Mianwali hometown, was a treat for to eyes.
He said Kundian forest, spreading over nearly 20,000 acres, had millions of
trees back in the 60s. Today, only a few trees can be seen there. Our children
should be taught the importance of trees in schools.
Pakistan cannot afford neglecting climate change, which is increasingly
resulting in deaths and destruction owing to extreme weather patterns. As per
the Geremenwatch 2020 report, because of climate change more than 526,000 people
died all over the world and losses of $3.3 trillion were incurred from 1998 to
2018. Pakistan’s share of toll in the period was 9,989 deaths and economic
losses of $3.8 billion due to more than 300 extreme weather events. Pakistan is
fifth on the Global Climate Risk Index 2020, the list of nations most affected
by climate change. According to the report, the 10 countries most hit by natural
calamities are Puerto Rico, Myanmar, Haiti, the Philippines, Pakistan, Vietnam,
Bangladesh, Thailand, Nepal and Dominica. Pakistan’s geographic location and
weak environment-related laws make it “prone to extreme weather events, in
particular, heavy rainfalls”. In such a situation, programmes like billion trees
and Green and Clean Pakistan are the best bets. The only thing needed is strict
tracking of the execution of these programmes. In this regard, provincial
governments should coordinate with each for better results. For example, Sindh
government’s plan to reclaim its lost forests can be replicated across the
country. The province has recently retrieved 600,000 acres of forests from
encroachers and, under the Sindh Sustainable Forest Management Policy, the land
will again come under forest cover with the active collaboration of local
communities. It is time to make the environment a top priority.