Panel to oversee Billion Tree Tsunami project

Consortium includes international organisations including IUCN and FAO

ISLAMABAD:

To ensure transparency in the government’s flagship Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (TBTTP), a consortium has been created for maintaining third party monitoring of the project.

The consortium, which consists of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) will conduct monitoring and evaluation of the project from 2020 to 2024.

Launched by the Ministry of Climate Change on Monday, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam highlighted that a key milestone has been achieved.

“The initiative will provide an opportunity to invite international environmental experts to monitor the largest afforestation programme in Pakistan,” he said.

He added that the 'Green Stimulus' package is part of the government’s efforts to extend green cover in the county apart from creating job opportunities for the youth, particularly in the wake of the ongoing novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

PM Imran launches Pakistan’s largest tree plantation drive

On a concept initiated by the IUCN, he said that the government had recently notified two protected areas in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). The programme has a broader focus to facilitate the transition towards environmentally resilient Pakistan by mainstreaming notions of adaptation and mitigation through ecologically targeted initiatives covering afforestation, biodiversity conservation and enabling policy environment.

Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul said that there is a political will to increase the forest cover of Pakistan which will result in the improvement of environmental conditions for future generations.

Climate Change Ministry Secretary Naheed Durrani said that this programme is being implemented in all federating units of the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and G-B.

She added that the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme comprises tree plantations, assisted natural regeneration and also supports the implementation of targets 15.1, 15.2, 15.5 and 15.7 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2020.