Plant for Pakistan

{{Short description|Environmental protection campaign in Pakistan}} {{More citations needed|date=April 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Imran Khan sidebar|expanded=22nd [[Prime Minister of Pakistan]]}} '''Plant for Pakistan''' (Plant4Pakistan), also known as '''10 Billion Tree Tsunami,''' was a five-year project to plant 10 billion trees across Pakistan from 2018 to 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gul |first=Ayaz |title=Pakistan to Plant '10 Billion Trees' |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-incoming-government-to-plant-10-billion-trees-/4516212.html |access-date=2018-09-15 |work=VOA |language=en}}</ref> Prime Minister [[Imran Khan]] started the drive on 2 September 2018 with approximately 1.5 million trees planted on the first day.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-09-01 |title='Plant for Pakistan' campaign kicks off across the country {{!}} The Express Tribune |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1793014/1-plant-pakistan-drive-kicks-off-tomorrow/ |access-date=2018-09-15 |work=The Express Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref> The campaign was based on the successful [[Billion Tree Tsunami]] campaign of the former [[Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf]] government, also led by Imran Khan, in the province of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan has planted over a billion trees |url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/07/pakistan-s-billion-tree-tsunami-is-astonishing/ |access-date=2018-09-15 |website=World Economic Forum}}</ref> This different initiative is often confused with the initiative of the Prime Minister [[Nawaz Sharif|Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif]] who launched a national campaign of Green Pakistan and also allocated budget funding from the PSDP.

In 2020, the program tripled its number of workers to 63,600 after being momentarily halted following the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan]], aiming to enlist those left unemployed by its economic consequences.<ref>{{cite web |date=30 April 2020 |title=Pakistan Hires Thousands of Newly-Unemployed Laborers for Ambitious 10 Billion Tree-Planting Initiative |url=https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/pakistan-hires-laborers-for-planting-10-billion-tree/ |access-date=2 May 2020 |website=Good News Network |language=en |agency=thegoodnewsnetwork}}</ref>

Most of the work, which paid between 500 and 800 rupees (US$3–5) a day, took place in rural areas, with people setting up nurseries, planting saplings, and serving as [[forest protection]] guards. The plan was awarded 7.5 billion rupees ($46m) in funding.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pakistan's virus-idled workers hired to plant trees |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/pakistan-virus-idled-workers-hired-plant-trees-200429070109237.html |access-date=30 April 2020 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |publication-date=}}.</ref> Saplings planted during the initiative included mulberry, acacia, moringa and other indigenous species. ==History== The [[Billion Tree Tsunami]] was a massive afforestation initiative launched by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in Pakistan in 2014. The project aimed to plant one billion trees on 35,000 hectares of degraded forest and barren land. Its success quickly gained international recognition, with organizations like the Bonn Challenge, the World Bank, and the IUCN praising its environmental impact.

Inspired by the original project, Prime Minister Imran Khan initiated a similar, larger-scale effort, the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami, in 2018. This initiative sought to reforest one million hectares across Pakistan. The project has garnered significant global attention and has inspired similar efforts in other countries. While progress has been substantial, with over one billion trees planted in the initial years, the ambitious goal of planting nine billion more within the remaining timeframe presents a significant challenge. However, given the international support and domestic momentum behind the project, it is anticipated that the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami will be successfully completed.

==Global warming in Pakistan== While Pakistan's [[economy]] is 135th in terms of [[greenhouse gas]] emissions, it is among the top ten countries in the world to be affected by [[global warming]] according to the annual report of [[Climate Change Performance Index|Global Climate Risk Index]] of German Watch, which ranks Pakistan as eighth among the countries most at risk of climate change.<ref>Eckstein, David, et al. [https://www.germanwatch.org/sites/germanwatch.org/files/20-2-01e%20Global%20Climate%20Risk%20Index%202020_16.pdf "Global climate risk index 2020."] (PDF) ''Germanwatch'' (2019).</ref> As of November 2021, Lahore is the number one in the world in terms of [[air pollution]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lahore Air Quality Index (AQI) and Pakistan Air Pollution | AirVisual |url=https://www.iqair.com/pakistan/punjab/lahore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan: 'Find a solution,' say Lahore residents choking in smog |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/17/pakistan-lahore-smog-air-pollution-aqi-health |website=www.aljazeera.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2 November 2021 |title=Hazy Lahore declared most polluted city in the world |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1655402}}</ref> Major cities have experienced major heat waves and high levels of pollution in the 21st century, including [[Karachi]]<ref name="bloomberg">{{cite news |last1=Haider |first1=Kamran |last2=Anis |first2=Khurrum |date=24 June 2015 |title=Heat Wave Death Toll Rises to 2,000 in Pakistan's Financial Hub |publisher=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-24/heat-wave-death-toll-rises-to-2-000-in-pakistan-s-financial-hub |accessdate=3 August 2015}}</ref> and [[Islamabad]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kamal |first=Shahid |date=2018-04-02 |title=Quality of air in Islamabad declining |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1399014 |access-date=2022-08-02 |website=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] |language=en}}</ref>

Pakistan has a wide variety of [[ecosystem]]s within its borders, including the [[Arabian Sea|Arabian sea]], several [[List of deserts of Pakistan|deserts]] and major [[List of rivers of Pakistan|rivers]], and more than seven thousand [[List of glaciers of Pakistan|glaciers]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Craig|first=Tim|date=2016-08-12|title=Pakistan has more glaciers than almost anywhere on Earth. But they are at risk.|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistan-has-more-glaciers-than-almost-anywhere-on-earth-but-they-are-at-risk/2016/08/11/7a6b4cd4-4882-11e6-8dac-0c6e4accc5b1_story.html|access-date=2020-09-04|issn=0190-8286|quote=With 7,253 known glaciers, including 543 in the Chitral Valley, there is more glacial ice in Pakistan than anywhere on Earth outside the polar regions, according to various studies.}}</ref> Pakistan is also at the confluence of three great mountain ranges; the [[Hindu Kush]], the [[Himalayas]] and the [[Karakoram]]. Areas such as [[Sindh|Sindh province]] are at increased risk of flooding due to the melting of glaciers and the eruption of glacial lakes, while also being at risk of drought due to an increasingly warm [[dry season]]. Threats such as [[hurricane]]s also pose an increasing threat to open populations.<ref name=":0" />

==The 'Safe Areas' system ==

Apart from tree planting, the [[Government of Pakistan]] had also taken other eco-friendly measures, including increasing the number of [[Protected areas of Pakistan|protected areas]]; as of December 2022, there were currently 398 wildlife conservation areas in Pakistan. Of these, 31 had [[national park]] status. The total protected land area represented 13% of Pakistan's landmass as of 2020, with the government of Pakistan announcing plans to increase this amount to 15% by 2023.

A National Park Academy had been planned for [[Ziarat]] and [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] national parks, where young people would be given jobs after special training, with plans to give at least 5,000 young people employment.<ref>{{cite news |date=3 June 2021 |title=ماحولیات کا عالمی دن: وزیراعظم عمران خان کا '10 بلین ٹری سونامی منصوبہ، پاکستان کے ماحول دوست اقدامات کا عالمی سطح پر اعتراف |url=https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan-57340275 |work=BBC Urdu}}</ref>

==Other Green Projects==

===Green energy=== The government had immediately abandoned 2600 MW coal burning projects and focused on new 3700 MW [[hydropower]] projects instead. Such power projects should be given priority in the country now. There were no [[oil]] or [[coal]] burning in them. "Efforts were being made to generate [[electricity]] using [[Solar power|solar]], [[Water power|water]] and [[wind energy]]. Currently, more than a third of Pakistan's electricity came from projects where no oil or coal was burned. Efforts were being made to generate two-thirds of the electricity in the same decade without burning oil or coal."

===Electric Vehicles=== {{Main|Electric vehicles in Pakistan}} Another eco-friendly project of the government was the promotion of [[electric vehicle]]s. [[Smoke]] from vehicles was a major cause of [[urban pollution]]. To address this, the government announced a new policy to promote the use of electric vehicles. Under this policy, duties and taxes on electric vehicles were made nominal. Significant progress was being made in this regard. German car company [[BMW]] set up its charging station at [[Kohsar Market]] in Islamabad. PSO was also going to build another charging station in Jinnah Supermarket. In Karachi, three charging stations were planned in partnership with [[Royal Dutch Shell|Shell]] and [[Karachi Electric]], which would be installed in Defense, Gulshan and Gadap areas. At present, at least half a dozen companies in the country were installing assembly plants for electric vehicles, which would reduce the cost of these vehicles even more than the current petrol-powered vehicles. The government hoped that by the end of this decade, the share of e-vehicles would reach 30% and 90% by 2030 and 2040 respectively. The first locally produced e-bike was launched along with 6 other models on 8 July 2021.

===Green diplomacy=== The Billion Tree Tsunami had not only had a significant environmental impact but had also served as a powerful tool for diplomacy. The initiative's success led to international recognition and cooperation. For instance, Saudi Arabia, after launching its own Billion Tree project, invited Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit and strengthen bilateral relations. Additionally, the United States, recognizing Pakistan's environmental leadership, invited the country to participate in a climate summit.<ref>{{cite news |date=27 March 2021 |title=ماحولیاتی سمٹ: امریکی صدر جو بائیڈن کی 40 عالمی رہنماؤں کو شرکت کی دعوت، پاکستان کا نام شامل نہیں |url=https://www.bbc.com/urdu/world-56547975 |work=BBC Urdu}}</ref>

The global impact of the Billion Tree Tsunami was substantial, with other nations like the [[UK]] and [[New Zealand]] initiating similar projects{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}. This initiative solidified Pakistan's reputation as an important player in environmental conservation.

== See also == * [[Billion Tree Tsunami]], a [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], Pakistan reforestation project * [[Trillion Tree Campaign]], a [[UNEP]] call to plant 1 trillion (1,000,000,000,000 or 10,00,00,00,00,000) trees.

== References ==  {{reflist}}

[[Category:Imran Khan administration]] [[Category:Environmental protection]] [[Category:Environmentalism in Pakistan]] [[Category:Reforestation]] [[Category:Climate change in Pakistan]]