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By Fakhar e Alam
PESHAWAR, Feb 01 (APP):For 35-year-old Tariq Qadar, spring season has arrived not just with blossoms but with booming business for plants sellers.
Standing beside a truck stacked high with saplings at Tarnab, a plants hub on the outskirts of Peshawar, the plant seller watches laborers unload poplar, eucalyptus and pine trees destined for farms, schools and government offices across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
For Tariq, the province’s spring plantation campaign has turned into a season of hope and opportunity for thousands associated with this business.
“Orders are pouring in from government departments, NGOs, educational institutions and village development committees,” he said with a smile. “This spring has been exceptional.”
Tariq sources plants from Patoki in Kasur district and said he has already brought in three truckloads of saplings, with more on the way if demand continues to rise.
Alongside traditional forest species such as poplar, shisham and eucalyptus, ornamental plants like araucaria, bottle palm and gangi palm are also gaining popularity.
“Our main customers are the Forest Department and educational institutions because the profits margins are better and the volume is large,” he explained.
In case plants die or unsold, he said farmers suffer economically, adding around 10,000 people associated with plants business in Tarnab Peshawar.
He demanded CM KP to support plant sellers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and provide interest free loans to them.
Among Tariq’s customers is Malyar Khan, a farmer from Mohib Banda in Nowshera district, who travelled to Tarnab to buy poplar saplings.
“These trees will protect my agricultural land from floods,” Malyar Khan said. “They prevent soil erosion, improve the environment and also increase the value of our land.”
Like many farmers in the province, Malyar sees tree plantation not just as an environmental duty, but as an economic investment one that strengthens resilience against climate-induced disasters.
Forests at the frontline of climate defense
Forests play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance, regulating local climates and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Acting as carbon sinks, they reduce greenhouse gases, stabilize water cycles, prevent erosion and provide habitats for wildlife.
Recognizing this, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Department has launched an aggressive spring afforestation strategy aimed at expanding forest cover, particularly by converting non-productive land into green assets.
From the plains of Khyber to the mountains of Kohistan, and from Waziristan to Chitral, the Plant for Pakistan campaign is being rolled out across the province.
Farmers, students, local communities and forest officials are being mobilized to plant diverse tree species to combat deforestation and desertification.
Thousands of saplings will be planted in schools, colleges, universities and community spaces, embedding environmental responsibility in younger generations.
Ahmad Jalil, Chief Conservator of Forests, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said the spring plantation drive focuses on farm forestry, mass plantation and rehabilitation of degraded forest areas.
“Our goal is to restore large tracts of land and strengthen KP’s resilience against climate change,” he said.
Pakistan particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan faces an alarming rate of forest depletion. According to the National Forest Policy, the country has been losing around 27,000 hectares of forest annually, mostly on private and community lands.
“Pakistan is among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change,” Jalil noted, pointing to the devastating 2022 floods and erratic rainfall and snowfall patterns. “Deforestation and air pollution are major contributors.”
From Billion Trees to 10 Billion Trees
In response, the KP government launched the Billion Trees Afforestation Project (BTAP) in 2014 under the Green Growth Initiative, later expanded under the 10 Billion Trees Afforestation Project (10BTAP).
According to the Forest Department, 711.35 million saplings of various species have been planted under 10BTAP in KP through farm forestry, enclosures and other interventions.
As a result, 26.7 percent of the province’s land area is now under forest cover, surpassing international benchmarks. KP accounts for 37 percent of Pakistan’s total forest cover, playing a crucial role in absorbing nearly 50 percent of the country’s carbon emissions.
Beyond environmental gains, the initiative has created over 200,000 green jobs, while the province’s carbon credits are estimated to be worth Rs.100 billion annually.
Green growth and the road ahead
Large-scale irrigation and plantation projects are also underway to boost agricultural productivity.
The Chashma Right Bank Canal project aims to bring 300,000 acres of barren land under cultivation, while the Mohmand Dam Canal will irrigate over 200,000 acres.
Experts stressed that combating climate change requires collective action. The Plant for Pakistan initiative, they say, represents a long-term, sustainable approach to environmental protection, economic growth and climate resilience.
As spring unfolds across the province, officials have urged citizens to plant as many trees as possible to improve air quality, restore rainfall patterns and protect future generations.
Chief Conservator Ahmad Jalil encouraged farmers and citizens to contact Forest Department Offices in their respective districts to obtain saplings.
For people like Tariq Qadar and for a province on the frontline of climate change, the message is clear that every tree planted today is an investment in tomorrow.