The ambitious Ten Billion Trees Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has failed to meet its target of planting one billion trees, with project officials citing insufficient funding as the key reason behind the shortfall.
Launched in June 2019 by both federal and provincial governments, the project aimed to plant one billion trees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within four years, concluding in June 2023. However, documents from the province’s Climate Change and Forest Department show that the deadline has been extended twice—first to June 2024, and most recently to June 2025—due to delays in meeting the target.
As of June 2024, the department had planted 711.35 million trees, representing 71 per cent of the original goal. Project officials attributed the shortfall to a lack of funding.
According to official figures, Rs14.22 billion has been spent on the project so far, with Rs6.85 billion sourced from the provincial Annual Development Program (ADP) and Rs7.37 billion from the federal Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). This spending accounts for just 52 per cent of the funds initially allocated for the project under Project Concept-I (PC-1).In addition to falling short of the planting goal, the project has also accumulated Rs1.79 billion in arrears, largely due to expenses related to plant protection and hiring guards.
In response, the Secretary of Forests KP has appealed to the Chief Minister to release Rs1.34 billion from the ADP and Rs598.57 million from the PSDP to cover the funding gap.
Meanwhile, Project Director of the Ten Billion Trees Project Junaid Khan stated that only 72 per cent of the planting target has been achieved, attributing the shortfall primarily to financial constraints. The project now faces an extended timeline as officials work to secure additional funding to meet its objectives.
