Only two climate change schemes introduced | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Only two climate change schemes introduced

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD – As climate change has become a global challenge across the globe, the government allocated a pie from the cake of federal budget 2018-19 in the Public Sector Development Programme.

As per the budget document, a total of Rs802 million have been allocated for the climate change division while only two new schemes have been introduced.

Number of ongoing projects under the division is also six. Out of the total allocated amount Rs36 million has been set for new projects and Rs766 million for the ongoing projects. Total estimated cost of the new projects is Rs96.825 million and for ongoing the estimated cost is Rs3143.956 million. No foreign component is included in the allocated fund for both new and old schemes.

The new schemes include Climate Change Resilient Urban Human Settlements Unit and Establishment of Pakistan WASH Strategic Planning and Coordination Cell (Facilitating Achievements of SDG 6.1 AND 6.2).

Rs20 million have been allocated for Climate Change Resilient Urban Human Settlements Unit and Rs16 million have been for Establishment of Pakistan WASH Strategic Planning and Coordination Cell (Facilitating Achievements of SDG 6.1 and 6.2).

In ongoing programmes, Rs390 million have been set for Green Pakistan Programme’s revival of Forestry Resources in Pakistan, Rs299 million for Green Pakistan Program-revival of Wildlife resources in Pakistan, Rs88 million for Construction of Boundary Wall of Zoo Cum Botanical Garden Islamabad and Rs22 million have also been allocated for Sustainable Land Management Programme to Combat Desertification in Pakistan.

Earlier, The former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had directed the Ministry of Climate Change to start the GPP after attending the 21st international Climate Change Summit (Cop21) 2016. International community and experts on climate change had appreciated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief Imran Khan’s one billion tree plantation initiative in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The incumbent government aimed at planting 100 million trees under the programme across the country in the next five years. The federal government has allocated Rs2 billion for the programme under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2016-17 but the Ministry has so far failed to utilise a single penny from the allocated sum.

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