Govt to add three new environment projects under Green Pakistan in FY27

July 15, 2026 (MLN): The federal government is set to include three new environmental and biodiversity conservation projects in the revised Upscaling of Green Pakistan Programme (UGPP) for fiscal year 2026-27, targeting the Margalla Hills, a national botanical garden in Islamabad and a pollution monitoring network.

The revised UGPP carries a total cost of Rs122.146bn, of which the federal PSDP share stands at Rs76.322bn and the provincial governments' contribution is estimated at Rs45.8bn, APP reported.

Launched for the 2019-2028 period, the programme has been allocated Rs2.335bn for FY2026-27 and is run under the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination as its flagship initiative for ecological restoration and strengthening the country's natural capital through large-scale afforestation, biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration.

The programme supports climate adaptation and mitigation, paves the way for carbon credit generation, and helps Pakistan meet its international environmental commitments.

Its key components include forest restoration on state and community lands, biodiversity conservation, promotion of non-timber forest products, carbon financing, natural resource assessment through GIS and remote sensing, institutional strengthening, monitoring and cross-learning mechanisms.

Among the FY2026-27 additions, the first sub-component pertains to conservation of biological diversity and landscape management of Margalla Hills National Park and its buffer zones in line with international standards, carrying an estimated cost of Rs1.689bn.

The project proposes setting up a Wildlife Rescue Centre and an Urban Forestry Unit within the park to support biodiversity protection, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, and enhancement of urban green cover.

 It would be housed in the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, an attached department of the ministry.

The second initiative involves establishment of a National Botanical Garden at Bani Gala, under the Zoological Survey of Pakistan, Islamabad  Phase-I at a cost of Rs800mn.

The project aims to protect plant species, preserve the country's natural heritage, and support national and international conservation commitments, and will include nurseries, seed banks and herbarium facilities for long-term conservation of germplasm and sustainable use of plant resources.

Once approved, it will be housed in the Zoological Survey of Pakistan and is envisioned as a premier national institution for conservation, research, documentation, propagation and public display of the country's plant diversity, comprising specialised thematic gardens, research facilities, a herbarium, seed bank, nursery complexes, educational and visitor facilities, and ecological restoration sites.

It is also expected to promote climate resilience, scientific research, environmental education and sustainable ecotourism.

The third proposed initiative is the Pollution Load Assessment Network (PLAN), with a cumulative cost of Rs1bn, aimed at establishing technical infrastructure and enhancing institutional capacity to monitor air and water pollution levels across the Islamabad Capital Territory.

The network is expected to support evidence-based environmental regulation, policy formulation and compliance monitoring, and will be housed in the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, an attached department of the ministry.

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