From planting 10 billion trees to shifting Brick-kilns to zigzag technology in Punjab, Imran Khan’s government is changing Pakistan’s attitude towards climate change.
Economic and social development is a dream of every nation, especially development that is both standard and sustainable. There was a time when building infrastructure and moving towards industrialization was considered development. Such development has many benefits, but it also poses a serious threat to nature and the world’s climate.
The Western world supports modern ways of dealing with climate change. From cleaning up the city to upgrading the ground level and cooling the cities, Western countries are taking these issues seriously and in a good way.
But in third world countries like Pakistan etc. the war on climate change is not taken very seriously in the houses of power and no effective measures are taken against it. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of effective attitude of political leadership against it and the lack of funds to fight this challenge.
One of the promises in Imran Khan’s government election manifesto was to take climate change in Pakistan seriously. We will discuss how far Imran Khan’s government has kept its promise and what 3 big steps it has taken in this regard.
Ten Billion Trees Tsunami
In election manifesto, PTI says that it “will expand and restore the fractured forests of Pakistan through a ’10 Billion Tree Tsunami’ spread over 5 years under principles of true forest valuation, community stewardship as well as public-private partnerships”.
On 2 September 2018, after becoming Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan launched a 5-year, country-wide 10 billion tree plantation drive from Makhniyal, KPK to combat the effects of global warming. it’s total cost is estimated at 125.1843 billion.
Pictured below is the day when Imran Khan inaugurated the project and planted the first tree under the program.
A year after planting trees on the land liberated from the mafia under the campaign to plant 10 billion trees in Baloki, Punjab which turned into green nature reserve, to the plantation of Billionth tree by Pm khan today in Makhniyal, KPK, the project is successfully underway despite the shortage of funds.
Brick-kilns shifting to zigzag technology
Smog is an emerging problem in Pakistan, especially in Punjab, which is home to 52.95% of the country’s population. Punjab has paid a heavy price due to smog, from the rise in climate-related illness to the closure of highways and disruption of communication.
Breathing in fresh air is still a dream in Punjab, especially in urban areas. There were many factors contributing to the smog problem, one of which was the brick kilns in Punjab. Working on old technology, they were releasing a dangerous amount of hazardous substances into the air. The Punjab government had to change it and they did.
During this program, 7896 traditional brick kilns across Punjab were converted to new eco-friendly Zig-Zag technology in less than six months. Which helps reduce carbon emissions by 60% and energy savings by up to 30%. Rana Abdul Jabbar, who operates a traditional kiln in the Phool Nagar area, said he invested 15 to 20 lacs to switch to the zig-zag technology.
Jabbar claims the new technology has improved the quality of bricks and increased production. This technology will not only reduce the hassle of smog but will also give brick kiln owners the opportunity to grow their business through environmentally friendly measures instead of the old traditional technology.
Urban Forestation
Pakistani cities are less eco friendly and look like a jungle of concrete. With a growing population, cities are spreading all over Pakistan but nature is facing a serious problem. The declining number of trees in cities at alarming rates is severely damaging not only public health but also the sustainable development challenge.
Tree felling is becoming a common occurrence in Pakistan during infrastructure projects. Trees were being cut down with extreme brutality during the construction of Metro bus routes and Highways. Which is raising the temperature and causing the heat wave to become a worrying problem.
Inspired by the Japanese government, the PTI government has come up with the idea of Miyawaki forest in urban areas of Pakistan. The Miyawaki method has been successfully used to regenerate forests with indigenous species in more than 38 countries. It has been championed as a sustainable, cost-efficient model for environmental protection, disaster prevention, and water source protection.
The approach is supposed to ensure that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual. It involves planting dozens of native species in the same area, and becomes maintenance-free after the first three years. The technique is alternatively known as the potted seedling method.
The PTI government successfully conducted its first experiment in the “Liberty roundabout”. Then, on February 12, Imran Khan launched the Urban Forest Program (Miyawaki) in Lahore, under which, 50 sites have been identified and work has started.
Once the soil has been prepared and the trees are planted using the Miyawaki methodology the forest will be required to be monitored for three years. After three years the forest becomes self sufficient.
There is a long way to go in the fight against climate change. But I am sure that this government is taking it seriously and reshaping it for future generations. Imran Khan is doing a good job of raising this issue because it is not a political issue but a genetic problem with sustainable development and public health.
Imran Khan alone cannot win this battle. As Pakistanis, we have to play our part in this fight, either by saying no to plastic or by planting trees. Because if you want to see a better future for your generation, then you have to reinvest in nature. Clean Green Pakistan Zindabad.