Pakistan’s future Prime Minister aims to plant 10 billion trees in 5 years

Former cricketer and Pakistan’s next Prime Minister Imran Khan has pledged to plant 10 billion trees across the country in the coming 5 years. The country presently has a dismal 2.2% forest cover, raising concerns that it could run out of forests if rapid deforestation is not stopped immediately.

This ambitious pledge builds on Khan’s Billion Tree Tsunami, a reforestation project that added 350,000 hectares of trees in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa between 2014-2017. The aim was to restore the region’s depleted forests and fight the effects of global warming.

Erik Solheim, the head of the United Nations’ Environment Program, praised the new tree-planting program.

“Good to see this strong message from @ImranKhanPTI to plant 10 billion trees! Pakistan is one of the countries at the frontlines of climate change,” he tweeted.

Read more here: https://www.ecowatch.com/pakistans-prime-minister-plant-10-billion-trees-2591203191.html