There was a time when seasons in Pakistan arrived with quiet certainty. They were familiar, predictable, almost routine. Today, that rhythm has broken. Summers stretch longer than they should. Winters retreat without warning. Rain no longer arrives with balance. It either delays or arrives in force.

This is not only a change in weather. It is a deeper shift in how life itself is being lived.

Pakistan contributes little to global emissions, yet it sits among the countries most exposed to climate stress. The impact is no longer an abstract idea discussed in conferences. It is visible in daily life, in crops that fail without warning, in cities that grow harder to breathe in, and in homes where rising temperatures and uncertain water supplies shape everyday decisions.

For farmers, long held knowledge is becoming less reliable. The patterns passed down through generations no longer offer the same certainty. Seasons no longer follow expected lines. Rain comes too early or too late. Heat arrives without warning. Farming, once rooted in rhythm and experience, has become uncertain and risky.

In cities, the pressure takes another form. Green spaces are shrinking. Air quality continues to decline. Concrete spreads further while shade becomes harder to find. In such conditions, even a single tree begins to carry weight beyond its appearance. It becomes a source of relief and survival.

It is in this context that plantation efforts are gaining attention.

On Pakistan Day, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa carried out a large plantation drive, setting a target of one million saplings in a single day. The effort was completed across multiple districts with participation from government bodies, institutions, and citizens.

Yet numbers alone do not tell the full story.

For years, plantation drives have focused on scale and visibility. Saplings are planted with ceremony and public attention, but many fail to survive beyond the initial stage. Lack of care, water shortage, and weak follow up have often reduced long term impact.

A shift is now being attempted. The focus is slowly moving from planting to survival. Systems for monitoring are being introduced. Local communities are being encouraged to take responsibility. The question is no longer only how many trees are planted, but how many are still alive months and years later.

Alongside this, another change is taking place. Women are becoming more visible in climate related discussions. Their role in managing household resources such as water, fuel, and food places them at the centre of environmental pressure. Their participation is not symbolic. It brings practical understanding of how climate change affects daily life at the household level.

At a broader level, climate change is now widely recognised as a question of basic rights. The right to clean air, safe water, and a stable environment is becoming part of public discussion. In Pakistan, this awareness is still developing, but it is slowly finding space in policy and public debate.

More plantation drives are expected in the coming months, including around Independence Day. However, their true impact will depend less on public announcements and more on long term care and survival of the trees already planted.

Because planting a tree is only the beginning.

What follows is quieter and far more demanding. It is the steady work of protection, attention, and care. It is this work, often unseen and unacknowledged, that decides whether change lasts.

A tree is not only an environmental response. It is a long term promise. And like all promises, it survives only when it is kept.

This content is produced in paid partnership with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government - a partner of DawnMedia’s Breathe Pakistan initiative.