ISLAMABAD, Aug 16 (APP): Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has said that the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) requested the provinces to increase women’s share in raising plant nurseries under the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami (10BTT) more than the existing ten percent share in raising plant nurseries.
Talking to APP, the SAPM said the Billion Tree Tsunami project implemented in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a successful experiment of enabling women with a dignified livelihood opportunity. The project assisted them to raise plant nurseries at their household in rural areas which was a new yet difficult task for them.
He said, “The lady community mobilization teams of the forest department used to approach such women who were mostly impoverished and destitute and educate and train them on how to raise a nursery.”
In the Billion Tree Tsunami of KPK, he said the women’s share in providing and raising nurseries was 20 percent which in 10BTT was 10 percent at the moment. The monsoon plantation target of 200 million saplings was the largest ever goal set by the government and also the 3.5 million saplings plantation a day under Plant for Pakistan Day on August 9 had the share of women nurseries.
He said: “Around 324 million plants have been planted and 85,000 employment opportunities have been created for daily wagers.”
The daily wagers include green nighebaans (guards) that protect plantation enclosures under the 10BTT project, nursery workers, labourers planting saplings on different locations. The Prime Minister’s Green Stimulus package also targeted COVID-idled youth including women to plant trees, raise saplings and protect the plantation from intruders, Amin added. The 10BTT project was the flagship programme of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government that decided to set a goal of 10 Billion Tree Plantation across the country with estimated capital cost of Rs 110.0826 billion that includes Forestry Component Rs. 98.051 billion and Wildlife Component Rs. 12.0316 billion.
“It’s a Rs. 125.184 billion programme aimed to increase the forest cover by planting 3.22 billion trees in phase I and undertake major biodiversity initiatives especially conservation of national parks. The initiative is expected to yield one million jobs in the next four years.” This mega project was expected to yield multiple environmental dividends including reducing greenhouse gas effects, lowering cases of random floods and droughts and enhancing other biodiversity and was appreciated at international forums including the World Economic Forum (WEF).
He said Normandy Chair for Peace which was one of the largest forums of international environmental jurists and experts also lauded the 10BTT and Green Stimulus package. The Forum in its appreciation letter said the example depicted by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s green conservation project was also a major part of the new economy, aiming to conserve, protect and restore the Land, Air, and Waters (LAW) of Life which was also called the CPR Economy. It also pointed out that the Forum had also taken stock of the engaging of women and children in the effort who would be otherwise doing nothing worthwhile and losing their dignity.
The environment preserving programme was addressing many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as, among others, zero hunger (SDG-1), Gender Equality (SDG-5), Decent Work and (Sustainable) Economic Growth (SDG-8), Life on Land (SDG-15), the letter added.
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