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Press Release from 2019-09-12 / Group, KfW Development Bank

Afforestation to fight climate change – KfW supports the planting of one billion trees in Pakistan

  • EUR 13.5 million for sustainable forest management
  • More involvement of local inhabitants in decentralised forest management
  • Securing the ecological livelihoods of 8 million people

Yesterday, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) pledged EUR 13.5 million to the Pakistani Ministry of Finance to support a programme for the afforestation of one billion trees in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan. This is the second phase of the Pakistani government's existing Billion Tree Afforestation Project (BTAP), which is supported by KfW. The overall programme will improve the living conditions of 8 million people from the poorest sections of the population through additional income from the operation of tree nurseries, resource-efficient forest management and the sale of nuts, fruit and medicinal plants from the forest. It will also stabilise the groundwater level. The local residents will also have a greater say in forest management. At the same time, this will lead to more efficient forest management in the future.

“By participating in the afforestation of one billion trees in Pakistan, KfW is helping to secure the ecological livelihoods of one of the countries in the world most heavily hit by climate change. This will make a substantial contribution to counteracting rampant deforestation and is thus an important building block in the fight against climate change,” said Prof Joachim Nagel, Member of KfW's Executive Board.

Between 1990 and 2010, intensive deforestation in Pakistan resulted in the loss of around 33% of the forest area, equivalent to carbon emissions of 2.13 million tonnes, and negatively impacted the water supply and living conditions of communities living near forests, which use many natural products such as firewood and fruit.

Further information about KfW Development Bank can be found at: www.kfw-entwicklungsbank.de/International-financing/KfW-Entwicklungsbank/.