Pakistan's Ambitious "10 Billion Tree Tsunami" Initiative Might Help in Combatting Climate Change

A patch of land 20 miles outside of Peshawar may not appear to be much right now, but a young forestry officer claims it will be transformed shortly.

He claims that the 5,000 acres of former army shooting range close to a cement company would be transformed from uncompromising, hard-baked ground to a paradise of trees and plants that will draw day-trippers from all over the world. "God willing, in 10 to 15 years, this region will be a beautiful lush green forest, and we are devoted to its success," Usman Khan says.

Large-Scale Initiative

The project in northwestern Pakistan is part of a large-scale nationwide effort to plant and encourage trees. The flagship Ten Billion Tree Tsunami initiative of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan intends to establish new forests and revitalize old ones to provide more than one new tree for every person on the earth.

The UK government, which is hosting the recent United Nations climate change summit this week, has taken notice of the numbers' chutzpah and catchy project name. In September, Boris Johnson told the United Nations that the initiative had "totally blown him away" and that the rest of the world should follow Pakistan's lead.

COP26

As the world gathers in Glasgow to discuss how to combat climate change by curbing carbon emissions, such mega tree-planting projects will be on the agenda. Indeed, in the run-up to the COP26 meeting, Britain has already stated that it will triple its tree-planting efforts to meet its carbon-reduction commitments.

Such initiatives, according to proponents, can not only restore endangered species and prevent soil erosion but also assist in strengthening local livelihoods and reducing harmful amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by trapping it. Politicians are drawn to such initiatives because of the universal appeal of trees, the idea's doable simplicity, and the large numbers involved.

A Popular Method

Although such methods are becoming increasingly popular, scientists and ecologists are generally skeptical. They can achieve little of their intended effect unless done carefully, critics argue, and devolve into little more than PR stunts. Moreover, they can devastate critical ecosystems in the worst-case scenarios while diverting attention away from more effective strategies to combat climate change. Others believe that growing trees is too slow to collect carbon while temperatures are rising so quickly.

According to Martin Lukac, a forestry expert and ecology professor at Reading University, such massive planting efforts were pioneered decades ago and frequently failed. However, he told The Telegraph, "What they are attempting to achieve is to put out a straightforward and grandiose solution to a complex situation."

"It's certainly an idea that seems to have been adopted quite warmly," said Dr. Kate Hardwick, conservation coordinator at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. That, I believe, is because it is a highly approachable concept; it appears to be a necessary action that we may take to get a simple result.

"People, especially governments, like to feel like they're doing something positive, and it appears to be a pretty simple thing that we can all do, and I believe that's part of the reason for its current appeal."

Benefits

They can offer the triple benefit of collecting carbon, providing economic benefits to residents, and enhancing wildlife if done correctly. What appears to be an environmentally beneficial no-brainer at first, however, might be laden with problems.

According to Muhammad Ibrahim, deputy project director at the provincial forestry department, half of the trees would come from rejuvenating existing woodland rather than being planted. Instead, officials persuade villages of the importance of conserving their forests and appoint caretakers from the community to ensure that trees are not taken down.

A two-hour trip across the Khyber Pass reveals the enormous pressure on Pakistan's forest caused by the country's insatiable quest for firewood. Within sight of the Afghan border, careful rows of new trees have been planted, but soldiers on guard duty say people frequently try to hack them down. "They are so impoverished that they can't buy firewood," one officer explains.

Also Read: Global Plastic Pollution is Reaching a Tipping Point: Irreversible Damage Inevitable

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Tags Environmental Action, Pakistan, tree planting