Hafizzz
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Pakistan can earn $4b by selling forest carbon
ISLAMABAD - In a highly inspiring national consultative meeting held at FAO office Islamabad it was told that Pakistan can earn from $400m up to 4 billion per year by sale of carbon stored in forests every year.
Meeting that was headed by Qazi Azmat Isa, Chief Executive, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Programme and attended by the highest level secretaries of the provinces, a consensus was finally reached on the Readiness Proposal document.
Also present on the occasion was David Doolan, FAO representative. A new mechanism that was introduced by FAO was approved. The new mechanism called REDD+ offers cash rewards to developing countries that save forests and then pays them for the carbon stored in wood. The REDD+ mechanism has standards and procedures to ensure forest safety.
This meeting was a result of three years of hard work in building capacities of local communities, NGOs, provincial forest departments and forest owners. The consultation was attended by a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including representatives from Pakistan Gujjar Bakarwals, Guzara, Forest Advisory Committees of Murree and Kahuta, as well as forest owners from Hazara, Gilgit Baltistan and Ziarat.
Syed Mahmood Nasir, Inspector General of Forests informed that Pakistan’s REDD+ proposal shall be defended in the WB’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility meeting. The meeting is due in Geneva next month where only 3 out of 12 competing developing countries are expected to get around $4m to implement the project.
Qazi Isa showed his commitment to provide support of highly trained human resource of PPAF and announced to contribute $0.5 million that PPAF is expecting soon from sale of carbon credits. He further added that all carbon income will be devoted to safeguard forests in Pakistan under the REDD programme. The programme will also ensure active participation of women and indigenous communities through PPAF’s on-field network.
Kanwar Muhammad Javed Iqbal from the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) emphasised the importance of community participation in the REDD implementation process. Iqbal, who is also the elected civil society representative in the UN-REDD Policy Board, added that without healthy participation of community, Pakistan may not get the required support from the United Nations or the World Bank.
He informed that Pakistan can earn from $400m up to 4 billion per year by sale of carbon stored in forests every year, much more than what the country earns from annual textile exports. This can be an attractive source of earning foreign exchange and can thus be also of interest to the Ministry of Finance. Moreover, there are environment friendly dividends that can be reaped, such as soil erosion control, increased water flows, and enhanced safety of wildlife. More importantly, the programme will help towards poverty alleviation, which also serves as the common denominator between REDD and PPAF.
It was welcoming to note at the meeting that none of the provinces had any reservations over the interventions presented. Khadim Hussain, Provincial Secretary Forests, Gilgit, Hijbani, Secretary Balochistan and Shokat Yusufzai, Additional Secretary Khyber Pukhtunkhwa informed that provincial REDD focal points have already been notified while work is in progress to establish REDD cells to further steer the process.
ISLAMABAD - In a highly inspiring national consultative meeting held at FAO office Islamabad it was told that Pakistan can earn from $400m up to 4 billion per year by sale of carbon stored in forests every year.
Meeting that was headed by Qazi Azmat Isa, Chief Executive, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Programme and attended by the highest level secretaries of the provinces, a consensus was finally reached on the Readiness Proposal document.
Also present on the occasion was David Doolan, FAO representative. A new mechanism that was introduced by FAO was approved. The new mechanism called REDD+ offers cash rewards to developing countries that save forests and then pays them for the carbon stored in wood. The REDD+ mechanism has standards and procedures to ensure forest safety.
This meeting was a result of three years of hard work in building capacities of local communities, NGOs, provincial forest departments and forest owners. The consultation was attended by a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including representatives from Pakistan Gujjar Bakarwals, Guzara, Forest Advisory Committees of Murree and Kahuta, as well as forest owners from Hazara, Gilgit Baltistan and Ziarat.
Syed Mahmood Nasir, Inspector General of Forests informed that Pakistan’s REDD+ proposal shall be defended in the WB’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility meeting. The meeting is due in Geneva next month where only 3 out of 12 competing developing countries are expected to get around $4m to implement the project.
Qazi Isa showed his commitment to provide support of highly trained human resource of PPAF and announced to contribute $0.5 million that PPAF is expecting soon from sale of carbon credits. He further added that all carbon income will be devoted to safeguard forests in Pakistan under the REDD programme. The programme will also ensure active participation of women and indigenous communities through PPAF’s on-field network.
Kanwar Muhammad Javed Iqbal from the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) emphasised the importance of community participation in the REDD implementation process. Iqbal, who is also the elected civil society representative in the UN-REDD Policy Board, added that without healthy participation of community, Pakistan may not get the required support from the United Nations or the World Bank.
He informed that Pakistan can earn from $400m up to 4 billion per year by sale of carbon stored in forests every year, much more than what the country earns from annual textile exports. This can be an attractive source of earning foreign exchange and can thus be also of interest to the Ministry of Finance. Moreover, there are environment friendly dividends that can be reaped, such as soil erosion control, increased water flows, and enhanced safety of wildlife. More importantly, the programme will help towards poverty alleviation, which also serves as the common denominator between REDD and PPAF.
It was welcoming to note at the meeting that none of the provinces had any reservations over the interventions presented. Khadim Hussain, Provincial Secretary Forests, Gilgit, Hijbani, Secretary Balochistan and Shokat Yusufzai, Additional Secretary Khyber Pukhtunkhwa informed that provincial REDD focal points have already been notified while work is in progress to establish REDD cells to further steer the process.
