Rs5b earmarked for climate change projects

Maximum funding kept for 10-Billion Tree Tsunami programme

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is among five most vulnerable countries to climate change, said Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar said while presenting the federal budget in the National Assembly.

“With the evolving global perspective on climate change, Pakistan is also adapting itself to the phenomenon,” he said adding that climate change is responsible for the many shifting trends in Pakistan including off season rains, shift in crop yields and cycles of droughts and floods.

The budget document stated that around Rs5 billion has been allocated for six on-going projects of climate change division with maximum funding for its flagship project of 10-Billion Tree Tsunami programme (10BTT).

According to the Public Sector Development Programme 2020-21, the total estimated cost of the six on-going schemes of the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) was over Rs125.482 billion. The maximum funding was allocated for 10BTT programme which was Rs4.9 billion whereas Rs9.051 billion had been spent and the total project cost was over Rs125 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2020.