KP govt to celebrate tree Tsunami program

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will celebrate the success of its historic program of Billion Trees Tsunami by recognizing the services of all those having contributed to it. Besides the official team, these contributors included school children, women and local communities in the far and width of the Province.

Prominent among them are the two forest guards who were martyred while fighting against timber mafia. A number of such employees of Forest Department had sustained injuries too in the drive.

With successful initiative of PTI Led government in KP, Pakistan which means the Province of KP alone, became the 6th country to achieve the goal of planting largest number of trees and the first ever country (the Province originally) to grow these trees with fastest speed and in the shortest span of time of three years. This has brought Pakistan at the forefront of the nations fighting against world warming and climate change.

KP is the only province to register under the Bonn Challenge, committing to restore 380,000 hectares of forests and has already achieved its goal during the last three years. The project has been recognised by the Bonn Challenge, a global partnership aiming to restore 150 million hectares of the world’s deforested and degraded lands by 2020. The Bonn challenge website estimates an economic benefit of the reforestation effort at $121 million for the Province, in terms of carbon sequestration, better watershed improvement and future sustainable wood supplies.

Interestingly, the survival rate of this plantation is, as per the 3rd party validation report, 85 % which is greatest throughout the world.

The Chief Minister KP had a few months ago announced to recognize the services of all those contributed to this successful initiative. The program had already been appreciated and acclaimed worldwide.

In this regard a function will be organized in Islamabad next week where conservationists, diplomats and representatives of INGOs, academia, youth and students from throughout the country will be invited.