ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project has emerged as champion programme for ecological conservation at the 25th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Madrid, Spain.

While speaking at the event, Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said the world recognized Pakistan’s efforts on forestry preservation and Climate Change mitigation at the conference.

He said the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project was one of the eight initiatives leading the charge.

Also Read: PM Imran Khan launches Clean Green Pakistan Index

On Nov 25, Prime Minister Imran Khan had launched the country’s first barometer to measure green character and cleanliness of cities, called Clean Green Pakistan Index.

Addressing the launching ceremony, PM Imran Khan had said pollution had risen to the alarming level in Lahore. 10 years ago you could drink tap water in the metropolis but it was not possible anymore, he had added.

“Lives of senior citizens and children are at stake because of pollution, which is a silent killer. Lahore has become second or third most polluted city in the world,” he had said.

He had said in last 10 years, 70 percent of Lahore’s trees had been cut. Pakistan Clean and Green Index would make every city of the country green and clean again, he had maintained.

“In next few years, we will transform the country into a greener land with the help of masses,” he had said.

On Nov 30, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail had said that one billion trees would be planted in the province in the next four months.

According to Radio Pakistan, Governor Ismail had told Prime Minister Imran Khan’s adviser on Climate Change Amin Aslam that Rs5 billion would be provided by the federal government to plant the trees all over the province.

Few months earlier, PM Khan had promised to plant 10 billion trees across Pakistan to fight the effects of climate change with the help of provincial governments.

In July, the federal cabinet had approved Rs 7.5 billion for the 10 Billion Tree project.