CM KPK approves lease of land for forestation purposes

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has approved the leasing out of land for project for reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation of forests (REDD) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect has been signed between the Merlin’s Wood, a UK-based private investor and Environment Department, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This project will be implemented over an area of about 3 lac hectares forests and range lands in the Districts of Batagram, Mansehra, Tor Ghar and Swat to be lease out for a period of 40 years.

It is pertinent to mentioned that the project will not only help in changing climates such as floods, storms, clouds, bursts, prolonged warm spells and droughts but would also have positive effects on the agriculture, forestry, industry and human health sectors and project would also yield significant co-benefits in terms of employment generation, increase income, community development, poverty reduction, increase in forest area and tree cover which will have far reaching effects not only on the overall development of the province but will bring happiness and prosperity to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.