Islamabad, 17 Dec /DNA/ – Hayaud Din, Secretary of the Federal Economic Affairs Division, and Mr. Sebastian Jacobi, Country Director KfW (German Development Bank), signed the Billion Tree Afforestation Support Project (BTASP) grant agreement on 17 December 2021. Minister for Economic Affairs, Mr. Omar Ayub Khan and Ambassador of Germany to Pakistan, Mr. Bernhard Schlagheck, witnessed the ceremony.

The German Ministry of Economic Cooperation & Development (BMZ) has committed EUR 13.5 million grant through KfW. The KP Forestry, Environment & Wildlife Department (FEWD) will be the project implementation agency.

Ambassador of Germany to Pakistan, Mr. Bernhard Schlagheck, says: “With BTASP we aim to create a truly long lasting impact of the afforestation campaign. Over a period of six years, BTASP will support the protection and sustainable management of forests across three regions in KP.”

The project will compliment Pakistan’s flagship 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (TBTTP), including effective management of restored forest landscapes. It will help improve public service delivery and build institutional capacity through measures such as a nationally replicable Management Information System for FEWD.

In addition to ecosystem restoration, BTASP will support local economy, stimulate green growth and alleviate poverty across 100 villages in KP. BTASP will engage and mobilise communities as key stakeholders through the formulation of Participatory Forest Development Plans. It will also promote women’s economic empowerment and participation in decision making processes. BTASP will develop and strengthen value chains, linking up community-owned nurseries and businesses with markets. This will provide sustainable income opportunities for people relying on natural resources for livelihoods.

BTASP will support Pakistan’s efforts towards the Bonn Challenge of restoring 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested lands by 2030. The project is part of the German-Pakistan Climate and Energy Initiative, which was launched at COP26.

With the successful signing of the grant agreement for phase 1, the German Government stands ready to commit an additional EUR 20 million for Phase II of the project. With this new phase, Germany will extend its support to the federal Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Afforestation Project (TBTTAP) and in particular its governance, sustainability and climate aspects.