ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: Pakistan has joined the race to receive global funding to save its last remaining natural forests. The country became eligible to compete for the funding by implementing “Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD).”

Islamabad is in an intense competition with 12 other developing nations to earn an estimated $400 million to $4 billion per year to save its forests.

However, the funding will be awarded to only three countries depending on how strongly each defends its case.

A representative from the climate change division is expected to defend Pakistan’s case at a meeting before World Bank participants at Geneva in December.

“There are many obligations and standards which have to be fulfilled by the government to earn the funds,” said Syed Mehmood Nasir, the inspector general forestry in the climate change division.

According to the official, a 240-page document prepared for the World Bank described Pakistan’s political commitment, transparent monitoring systems and above all ownership of the process by the local communities that owned or were dependent on forests.

According to the CCD, the classical forestry curriculum did not include carbon emissions and one of the most difficult things to implement REDD in Pakistan was to re-educate the forestry professionals. The second hardest part was establishing a national focal point - the climate change division - especially when responsibilities were transferred to provinces after devolution in 2010.

The past trends and the current state of forests indicated that large-scale deforestation and degradation of natural forests had taken place.

It continued unabatedly at the rate of 0.75 per cent per year (FAO 2007) due to many direct and underlying causes.