IN 2016, a project called Green Corridor was launched in Medellin, Colombia, establishing 30 green corridors. The aim was to create an interconnected network of green spaces throughout the city to combat rising temperatures and air pollution.

Nearly a million trees and 2.5 million plants were planted to reduce environ- mental temperature. According to a BBC report, the project was able to reduce the average urban temperature by a couple of degrees. It improved air quality, and significantly enhanced the overall quality of life of the people.

The project cost $16.3 million, with an additional $625,000 allocated annually for sustenance, including planting vegetation along roads, canal banks and parks, as well as placing plant containers on government buildings’ green roofs and walls. This effort has paid off, as the temperature reduction is expected to continue in the coming years.

Medellin’s green corridors have effe- ctively reduced air pollution, leading to fewer respiratory problems among the residents. Electric buses have been introduced to keep the city cleaner and cooler. Medellin’s success has inspired other Colombian cities, like Bogota and Barranquilla, to undertake similar initiatives to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The main social aspect of this project is the involvement of local communities in decision-making and the right to use the urban budget. Unemployed youth were taken on board as gardeners to participate in the city’s greening campaign. Is there any specific reason why we cannot undertake such an initiative in Pakistan?

Ali Raza Soomro
Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2024