LAHORE: Phase-I of the Green Pakistan Up-scaling Program has achieved a plantation target of 2.12 billion to enhance the forest area in the country, said Economic Survey of Pakistan.

The programme is undergoing revision for the next four years (2024-2028), expanding its scope to include carbon finance mechanisms, scientific resource assessments, livelihood creation, and biodiversity conservation.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination is working with Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Green Climate Fund (GCF) to reduce and minimize the carbon footprint, it added.

Different projects /programmes being undertaken through these funds include the Community Resilience Partnership Program, Distribution of Solar Products, Transforming the Indus Basin, Recharge Pakistan, and Scaling up of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Risk Reduction in Northern Pakistan, among others.

Pakistan has been recognized as one of the top 10 nations most affected by climate change globally, according to German Watch’s Climate Risk Index. The country is experiencing unpredictable weather patterns, leading to occurrences such as flash floods, severe droughts, glacial lake outbursts, intense heat waves, and erratic rainfall. Consequently, its ecosystems and landscapes are steadily deteriorating. Forest fires are on the rise, plant and animal species are migrating, and water bodies and wells are depleting due to increased human activities.

Additionally, the rise in sea level and increased storm intensity can lead to coastal inundation and erosion and the loss of critical coastal habitats such as mangroves, which serve as important nurseries for many fish species.

The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that climate change is likely to exacerbate the frequency and intensity of such extreme events. The government has already devised a strategy to address the challenges posed by climate change, incorporating policy interventions and climate-related measures such as the National Clean Air Policy (NCAP), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Pakistan Policy Guideline for Trading in Carbon Markets, National Adaptation Plan (NAP), and Climate Budget Tagging Initiative, among others.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024