#Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Department, IUCN #Pakistan and Embassy of Republic of Korea joined hands to stave off #Climate Change

The IUCN #Pakistan team, in collaboration with the forest department of #Khyber Pakhtunkwa province, undertook a tree plantation activity with the financial support of Embassy of Republic of Korea near the Shah Maqsood Interchange of the Hazara Motorway in KP. A variety of tree species (forest, ornamental, and fruit) have been planted to achieve the objective of increasing forest cover and to help restore the ecosystem.

At the plantation event, H.E. Suh Sangpyo, Ambassador of Republic of Korea to #Pakistan apprised the audience about increasing green cover of Pakistan, in which the local communities play an essential role by maintaining the closures and community forests. He noted that The Embassy of Republic of Korea is committed to assist and encourage nature conservation and aimed to support Pakistan in combatting Climate Change. The Ambassador also mentioned the significance of such plantation activities in restoring biodiversity and ecosystem amidst devastating floods crises and global warming.

The plantation event was attended by Key representatives of Embassy of Republic of Korea, KP Forest Department officials, IUCN team, students of Haripur University and the local mountain community.

Mr. Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, Country Representative IUCN Pakistan in his welcome remarks noted that the mountain communities play a significant role in combating the adverse effects of #climate change. IUCN Pakistan has helped Ministry of Climate Change, Government of Pakistan to develop the Climate Change Gender Action Plan (ccGAP) which provides a roadmap for its six priority sectors.
Climate change is one of the most serious threats to humanity, with the World Bank warning that it could leave billions of people without sustainable sources of food and water. The situation is particularly acute in Pakistan, where rapid population growth and deforestation have left the country acutely vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change. We have already seen the impact of climate change in the form of flash floods, GLOF and rapidly changing weather patterns. Thankfully, there are still some simple ways which can make a difference and help protect our planet from further strain.

Mr. Kifayat Baloch, Conservator Forests, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa appreciated the role of Embassy of Republic of Korea and apprised the audience about Pakistan’s pledge to achieve the Bonn Challenge Target. He also mentioned that the KP forest department is playing a key role to increase the forest cover of province and bringing the women folk in conservation initiatives with the involvement of local communities.