Faiza Tehseen

Pakistan can earn billions of dollars by successfully implementing Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD +). It is very important to address various environmental issues and economic benefits in Pakistan, said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Forestry Planning and Monitoring Circle, Peshawar, Aitezaz Mahfooz, while talking to WealthPK. He said the REDD + set of rules was primarily designed to lead the conservation of forests and biodiversity, and its true implementation in Pakistan will help address both ecological and economic benefits. “Besides generating revenue, increased forest cover will create a vast job market and value addition chain. However, without proper governance and implementation policy networks, it is difficult to extract benefits from REDD+. So, the role of all stakeholders, including government agencies, is key to success in the implementation of REDD+,” he said.

Aitezaz said it was important to involve communities to gain proper benefits from the REDD+ program. Proper workshops and awareness campaigns are important in this regard. “When communities are well aware of economic benefits, environmental value, and impacts of REDD+, they will coordinate with beyond expectations. The feeling of ownership and benefits of sustainable income will increase their interest as well,” he said. Furthermore, he said both direct and indirect benefits, comprising environmental and economic factors and success of REDD+, were based upon a number of features, i.e., proper analysis to scale the project size, varying carbon credit sales market, international funding devotion of stakeholders, to support sustainable forest management and conservation, well-managed data, etc. Aitezaz quoted the example of 10-Billion Tree Tsunami Project (10-BTTP) specially designed for the sake of afforestation.

“This project is also extremely helpful in Pakistan to sequester carbon emissions in the environment. The total planted area under this project is about 150,000 hectares. It is estimated to sequester 1,500,000 metric tonnes of carbon per annum for the next 20 years. It shows that the forests in KP will help capture at least 780,00 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. “Proper implementation of REDD+ and the resulting increase in forest cover will help enhance sustainable income generation. It will also improve national revenue generation and best environment for the future generations,” he said. Pakistan is home to a variety of flora and fauna, which has unfortunately become very vulnerable to climate change. To maintain ecological balance, it is important to stop deforestation at every cost. It is causing environmental pollution, landslides, floods, soil erosion, etc. The country’s rural areas are mostly located in or near the forest zones, and their involvement will contribute a lot towards the exact application of the REDD+.

Credit: INP-WealthPk