Berlin gives 20 mn euros to Pak for forest management

Germany will provide 20 million euros to Pakistan for the second phase of a project aimed at the protection and sustainable management of forests in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a media report on Sunday.

An agreement for financial support for the ‘Billion Tree Afforestation Support Project’ (BTASP) was signed in Islamabad on Saturday between Pakistan Economic Affairs Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz and Director of German Development Bank KfW, Esther Gravenkotter.

The first phase of BTASP is already under implementation in partnership with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Climate Change, Forestry, Environment and Wildlife Department, the Dawn newspaper reported.

It will support the protection and sustainable management of forests in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The project will focus on new plantations on 10,000 hectares, capacity building of forest departments, and developing a management information system. The project will support nature-based livelihood generation geared to alleviate poverty.