Climate change is now so obvious that deniers have no choice but to remain silent. Although Pakistan ranks very low among the countries that produce greenhouse gases, it ranks eighth among countries at risk according to the Global Climate Risk Index.A country with a weak economy like Pakistan is exposed to various threats of climate change due to its diverse geography. Melting of glaciers in the mountains, constant floods, unseasonal and short heavy rains, rising sea levels and droughts in the deserts are now becoming the norm. According to experts, the root of all these problems is related to the indiscriminate cutting of forests. If examined in depth, this analysis appears to be true. We have some examples of this.
Due to our “brilliant” decisions, the garden city of Lahore is becoming a “smog trap”, Karachi a “heat trap” and Islamabad a “pollution trap” without trees. However, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government deserves credit that it has not only improved the situation in terms of forests and plantations across the country with projects like the Billion Tree Afforestation and now the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami under its Green Agenda. Rather, the common man has also been involved in these projects.It should be remembered that the prosperity and stability of any country is not measured by its foreign exchange reserves but by its natural resources. It is the forest resources that ensure the strength of the economy, the flow of water in rivers and food security.
According to the IPCC, a subsidiary of the United Nations, for the stability of a country’s economy and environment, it is necessary to have forests on 25 percent of the area, while according to experts, forests in Pakistan are only 5.7 percent of the total area, that is, on an area of 4.78 million hectares. There are forests.Deforestation and deforestation worldwide account for 11% of global carbon emissions, and it is a fact that global efforts to limit these harmful gases and the resulting temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius are a challenge. They cannot be productive unless the forest resources are conserved.
There have been many global initiatives to involve local people in forest conservation and management around the world, and especially in developing countries, with the Red Plus (REDD+) initiative at the fore. The UN sub-convention United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has introduced a mechanism called Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) to prevent deforestation and their instability. Under this method, the financial status of forest resources has been assessed for the first time. For example, carbon sequestration in trees has been monetized so that developing countries can be given carbon equivalent financial incentives to reduce deforestation and conserve natural forests.
Red Plus (REDD+) is not limited to deforestation or degradation, but also covers measures such as protecting the environment and natural resources, managing forests on a sustainable basis and increasing forests as carbon sinks. The initial phase activities of Red Plus have been completed under the FCPF-funded project for inclusion and implementation of Red Plus in Pakistan since 2015. This included national level, RED strategy, forest monitoring system, emissions estimation, Safeguard information system, consultation and communication.Under this project, the establishment of RedPlus office at the national level was also implemented to ensure the implementation of forest protection in the entire country in keeping with Pakistan’s commitments and responsibilities under the Cancun Agreement, Warsaw Framework and Article 5 of the Paris Agreement. Trying to make.
The main objective of the Red Plus National Office is to ensure awareness and preparation and implementation of Red Plus in Pakistan, to green the forestry sector through a socially, environmentally, and technologically sustainable national Red Plus strategy. Actions can be taken in Pakistan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.After the establishment of Red Plus globally, understand that now every tree is precious. It is a tank that stores carbon from the polluted atmosphere. As each tree reduces a certain amount of carbon from the atmosphere, the forest owner will be financially compensated. Provided it is protected from being cut. Now it can rightly be said that every tree is valuable and cash-generating.
All colors of life on earth owes to natural resources. Rich seas, rivers, the highest mountains of the world drawing the rain at their feet, hundreds of years old trees, fertile soil fields, green fields and colorful biodiversity are our real wealth. Man is actually a resident of two houses, one is his personal house and the other is the planet earth. We have to protect both houses equally, but we have put both of our houses in danger by our recklessness.There is a very strong relationship between the use of land resources and the natural environment, and when human activities disturb the natural environment, it does not take long for green landscapes to turn into deserts.
Trees or forests seem like a common resource to us, but the entire natural ecosystem of the earth revolves around them. These are the seasons that are controlled. It would not be wrong to say that forests are the guardians of the environment. They absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, provide oxygen, regulate temperature and precipitation. Their roots hold the ground firmly. They serve as natural habitats for countless animals and birds and homelands for millions of people.This colorful array of flora and fauna provides a tremendous wealth of food and abundant medicine for human health. Forests provide fuel and wood for construction, fodder for animals, fruits, honey, protein, medicinal extracts and many other raw materials like glue, wax and suresh etc. Forests also provide fodder for millions of cattle, goats, sheep and camels.
Growing in the country’s major watersheds, this protective cover not only maintains ecosystems but also acts as a barrier against floods by keeping the soil in place. But despite this, deforestation is going on fearlessly not only in Pakistan but all over the world. Even one-third of Brazil’s primeval forests have been wiped out. According to scientists, the reduction in the area of these rainforests is increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the rate of forest fires has also increased. The destruction of the densest rain forests in the world is easily seen from the images and observations taken with the help of the space planet of the Amazon forest located in the Brazilian region.
There is no satisfactory situation regarding forests in Pakistan either. According to a recent research report issued by the Ministry of Climate Change and Red Pulse Pakistan on Forest Reference Emission Level, the natural forest area in Pakistan is not more than 5.45 to 5.67 percent. It should be noted that this forest area does not include trees in gardens and agricultural lands.According to the same report, although data is scarce, deforestation was estimated at 11,000 hectares annually between 2004 and 2012. Local people’s participation in forest restoration and management, and financial incentives for saving trees. For that Red Plus and other similar programs are undoubtedly appreciated. But it is important that more and more information in this regard is conveyed to the common people so that in the coming years we can see a positive difference in this regard.
