The federal government is planning to launch a 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Project – this time across the country. The project is expected to add one percent to the total forest area in Pakistan.
The forestation project would require a funding of Rs. 125 billion for the first phase and will provide green cover to around 0.8 million hectares of land.
According to the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) 2017 survey, only 5.7% of Pakistan’s land was covered by forest. The report added that Pakistan lost up to 43,000 hectares of forest every year from 2000 to 2010. This is the highest disforestation rate among Asian countries.
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The proposal suggests that the federal and the provincial governments would equally share the project’s cost. However, Azad Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) would be exempted of their share, and the federation would bear the full value.
As per the proposal, around 4.5 billion saplings will be planted in the country during the first phase. The remaining target of 5.5 billion would be met in the second phase – which will be completed through a public-private partnership.
While the project still requires approval from the related institutions, the Ministry of Climate Change has also forwarded the Project Concept 1 (PC-I) to the planning commission.
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The forest department of every province, after an extensive search, has chosen different samples of trees for plantation, keeping environmental and ecological impacts in view. The sample cost varies accordingly.
Here are the details of the seedlings/saplings in each province and the estimated cost:
Balochistan: 0.25 billion saplings at Rs. 64 per sapling.
Punjab: 0.53 billion saplings at Rs. 58 per sapling.
Gilgit-Baltistan: 0.17 billion at the cost of Rs. 41 per sapling.
Azad Kashmir: 0.70 billion saplings at Rs. 29 per seedling.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: One billion saplings at Rs. 27 per sapling.
Sindh: 2 billion saplings at the cost of Rs. 5 per seedling.
Moreover, the National Highway Authority (NHA) would also plant 1.4 million plants at a cost of Rs. 1,675 per plant.
Via: Tribune
This is a great step and all. But are these and existing trees going to be protected against the lumber mafia?