Planting trees

Pakistan must work on the environmental policymaking that has never quite had a place before in Pakistani politics.

Hearing that Pakistan is taking some initiative in being part of the United Nations Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) project is invigorating. We must welcome the efforts on the part of non-governmental and governmental entities but it must be ensured that Pakistan continues to carry this momentum forward to once again build the country and the people’s collective morale by being in the limelight for something positive. By becoming one of the three countries to lead the REDD+ project, Pakistan will be helping itself in multiple ways. And, the nation could certainly use the $400 million to $4 billion potential earnings from participating to invest in environmental projects, all the while helping the global atmosphere.

The country has vast forest area, including a world heritage site. However, there is still no consensus as to what that amount of forest area is, nor is it known how much carbon is contained in these forests. After basic information gathering, the country must work on the environmental policymaking that has never quite had a place before in Pakistani politics. But now it is due time that there were a dialogue on the topic and a national movement to preserve and rehabilitate what is left of our greenery. The REDD+ project is a great such initiative for Pakistan to expand its forestry and research ways for sustainable development, which the country so desperately needs. Of course, a national movement will, hopefully, go a much longer way and instill lifelong conscientiousness for the environment in the Pakistani people.

Indeed, it is a positive step to see stakeholders, such as the World Wildlife Federation and the Climate Change Division, coming together and promising the efforts of their organisations to facilitate Pakistan in becoming a REDD+ project member. However, the momentum must be built further as there is a lot of work to be done to even become a viable and credible candidate. Nonetheless, the opportunity must not be missed.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2013.

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