Disenchantment and duality marked, the world’s policy on climate change has failed to do a bit to contain the rising greenhouse emissions ( a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation) level, and thereby the global warming ( long term heating of earth’s climate system observed since the preindustrial period b/w 1850 and 1900 due to Human activities primarily fossil fuel burning which increases heat trapping greenhouse gas levels in earth’s atmosphere), dragging the Planet Earth to the grave piecemeal. While a conscious and educated developed world is at least making some effort to offset the consequences of their industrial and commercial pursuits, here in Pakistan the complexity is ‘oversimplified’ and the official policy is narrowed down to planting trees only. Strangely though, Pakistan’s prime minister appears to believe that the global take is far premature than his ‘mature’ vision.
On a growing base, even more do kill. Plantation and deforestation have always gone hand in hand in Pakistan. The authorities that fervently school the ‘illiterate’ and ‘uneducated’ lot on the importance of growing trees and preserving natural vegetation are themselves the source and force behind the mafia that keeps denuding the forests for their vested interests that actually sum up as petty takeaways if rivaled with the loss inflicted on the environment thereby. The arid land and the wooden trees have systematically been destroyed in the name of construction as well as settlement of an ever-increasing population.
Let’s plant a tree, new day, and new campaign. The government claims that its Billion Tree Tsunami Project (UNEP) Launched vin 2014 by the government of KPK as a response to the challenge of global warming, is unparalleled in the world and has a gigantic potential to bring about a revolution in combating climate change; but as a matter of fact, the government lags far behind when it comes to synchronization and its approach with new researches and accepted solutions. Besides lack of awareness and competencies, a sheer lack of will is also at play. Planting a sapling underground in the media galore makes great optics for Pakistan’s honourable functionaries. This is where they consider their job done. Nobody minds being optimistic, but just filling in empty spaces in the name of cleaning.
Greening does not constitute what environmentalists endorse as a comprehensive green strategy. Getting rid of carbon dioxide emissions (emissions stemming from the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacture of cement including CO² produced during consumption of solid, liquid and gas fuels as well as gas flaring), putting an end to the burning of fossil fuel, and carrying out better waste control is what the world is converging on in the context of combating global warming. Pakistan also needs to be more vigilant and proactive in the context of meeting Paris Accord (paris accord often referred to as the paris climate accords , is an international treaty on climate change adopted in 2015 , it covers climate change mitigation, adaptation and finance) obligations and cooperating with neighboring countries in order to combat the hazards of climate change.
Even Pakistan’s plantation drives and Pakistan’s ambitious tsunami-labelled projects have been questioned by environmentalists of repute. For instance, projects related to the plantation of Eucalyptus and Miyawaki were launched in haste without first learning about their viability in view of the kind of environment that we have locally. The dogmatic approach of copy-pasting a foreign idea hardly ever works. Loss of money and resources aside, the ill-effects of such projects on the environment may even assume unimaginable proportions. So, instead of coming up with projects that exhaust our already-depleting resources for little.
For no gain, Pakistan needs to devise a coordinated and well-planned state policy on climate change.
Pakistan’s machinery seems far from comprehending what a climate change policy entails. The issue needs to be dealt with scientifically. There is a need to produce trained and educated professionals under the able guidance of experts, that requires setting up a specialized university. Well, Pakistan has had quite a few specialised universities, including a Sufi University that was inaugurated by the PM to produce wise leaders, but not without planting a sapling at its opening ceremony. Who knows this single sapling has a holy multiplier effect to turn into a billion trees under supernatural powers.