Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
A Green Wave of Reforestation
1B trees planted
Inhabitants 35.52 million GDP per capita $4,328 Geographic area 74,521 km²
THE CHALLENGE To restore a previously deforested area and contribute to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Green Growth Initiative, two approaches of protected natural regeneration and planned afforestation were set in motion.
Co-benefits
A region of Northern Pakistan has successfully reforested an area with 1 billion trees in just 2 years, protecting vital natural ecosystems and the services they provide. Following decades of deforestation in Pakistan, a push by the regional government saw a mass reforestation effort leading to the planting of 1 billion trees and the conservation of more than 350,000 hectares. The so-called “billion tree tsunami” project is a part-mitigation, part-adaptation effort from Pakistan, a country that contributes less than 1% of global emissions, but is in the top 10 countries expected to be worst-hit by climate change. The reforestation efforts have occurred in the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 40% of the country’s remaining forests occur. After years of deforestation, forests accounted for just 2% of Pakistan’s total land area. In preparation for the “tsunami,” 13,000 private and government nurseries were set up, which contributed 40% of the new trees in the region. The remainder have come from protection and regeneration of existing lands.
Green growth initiative. In an effort to combat the effects of global warming and improve forest ecosystems, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa planted over 1 billion trees with the support of local communities and other stakeholders (photo by Rahman Shah).
Economic The economic benefits are estimated to be around $121 million for the province in terms of carbon sequestration, watershed improvement, and sustainable future forest resources. Social An estimated 500,000 green jobs have been created by the nurseries, which can generate incomes of around PRs12,000–PRs15,000 ($115$140) a month for villagers. Environmental Large-scale reforestation is also expected to have positive effects for biodiversity conservation, as forests provide habitat for a broad range of species.
64 100 CLIMATE ACTIONS FROM CITIES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
