A tree-planting campaign totally transformed this area in just a year

In the year 2018, the South Asian nation of Pakistan implemented the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami campaign, a program dedicated to reinvigorating infertile areas through a rigorous tree plantation drive. The initiative was the second iteration of the country's Billion Trees campaign, inaugurated by the then-newly elected Prime Minister Imran Khan. A year after the project began its efforts in the Balloki Nature Reserve of Lahore, Pakistan's Advisor to the Minister of Climate Change took to Twitter in order to share an update about what the area currently looked like, reports Bored Panda. While there is some criticism about corruption within the ruling party, the transformation will shock you.

"[It] was a treat to visit [the] Balloki Nature Reserve [in] Lahore after a year," advisor Malik Amin Aslam wrote in his tweet. "Imran Khan inaugurated this in 2019 as part of [the] 10 Billion Tree Tsunami [campaign] and the plantation results in a year are phenomenal." Aslam attached a video of the area comparing the foliage between the last two years. In 2019, the area was completely barren, without a single inch of green in sight. This year, however, things were a little different: the area was covered in green flora and fauna. The advisor claimed that the project was part of "Naya Pakistan," which translates to "New Pakistan," the current Prime Minister's vision for his country's actions to combat climate change and global warming.

The visuals are, of course, stunning. They stand testament to what can be achieved with a little bit of commitment to the environment. In recognition of Pakistan's efforts, organizations such as the World Economic Forum, the World Wildlife Fund, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature rained down praise on the South Asian nation. The project was also ranked as the fourth biggest initiative by the Plant for Planet Foundation (UNFCCC). Pakistan thus joins other countries in their efforts to save planet Earth. These countries include Ethiopia, whose campaign to plant 350 million saplings in 12 hours broke records, and India, where 1.5 million volunteers planted 66 million trees in the same amount of time.

While these efforts have been praised, the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami campaign has also come under fire for "alleged reports of bogus billing, fake plantation, poor quality earthwork, unauthorized payments, and other activities that hint at corruption."

Nonetheless, the project is changing lives. Surpassing lockdown restrictions owing to the ongoing public health crisis, the project has employed 63,000 laborers facing unemployment from municipal lockdowns to continue afforesting. Though these workers earn only about half of their usual income, the Pakistani government has saved some workers from the brink of unemployment. To see some of the good work the project has achieved, you can following the page Plant4Pak on Twitter.