33Mpeople
affected when a third of the country went under water. More than 1,730 people died and over 8 million were displaced.
TreeProject · Pakistan
Pakistan is on the front line of climate change. Let’s plant it back.
درخت لگاؤ، پاکستان بچاؤ
We plant native trees in the cities and villages that feel the heat, floods and smog first. Sponsor a sapling, join a plantation drive, or wear the cause. Every rupee from our shop goes back into the ground.
The climate crisis in Pakistan
Floods, heat, melting ice and air you can see.
Pakistan is one of the countries hit hardest by a warming planet. These are the numbers behind the headlines.
$30B+ USD
in damage and economic losses, with Sindh taking about 70% of it. Up to 9 million more people could be pushed into poverty.
51°C
reached in Jacobabad during the May 2022 heatwave. Scientists found climate change made that heatwave around 100 times more likely.
7,000+ glaciers
in Gilgit-Baltistan and KP, more glacial ice than anywhere outside the poles. As they melt faster, glacial lake floods and river swings follow.
AQI 1,000+
readings in Lahore in November 2024, far beyond the “hazardous” line of 300. Every winter, smog closes schools and fills hospitals across Punjab.
<6%of land
is forest in Pakistan, among the lowest in the region. Fewer trees means hotter cities, more erosion and faster floodwater.
<1%
Pakistan produces less than 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, yet it ranks among the ten countries most affected by extreme weather. We can’t fix global emissions from here, but we can make our own towns cooler, greener and safer.
Sources: World Bank, Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (2022) · World Weather Attribution / UK Met Office on the 2022 heatwave · Germanwatch Climate Risk Index · FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment · IQAir · Climate change in Pakistan
Why trees
The cheapest climate defence we have grows from the ground.
A tree won’t stop a monsoon, but a street lined with them is cooler, a hillside held by roots slides less, and a city with more canopy breathes easier.
Cooler streets
Shade and evaporation lower street-level air by about 1–2°C and pavement by 11–25°C. That matters in cities like Karachi, Multan and Jacobabad.
Slower floods
Roots bind riverbanks and hillsides, and forest soil soaks up rain instead of sending it downhill all at once.
Cleaner air
Leaves trap dust and fine particles that feed Punjab’s winter smog, and green belts buffer homes from traffic and kilns.
Carbon stored
A growing tree locks away carbon every year of its life, roughly 20 kg of CO₂ a year for a mature tree, for decades.
Water in the ground
Tree cover helps rain soak in and recharge groundwater, which Pakistan’s farms and cities are pumping faster than it refills.
Livelihoods
Fruit, fodder, shade for livestock and jobs in nurseries and plantation. Native trees give back to the people who look after them.
What we plant
Native species that belong here
They survive our heat on less water, feed local birds and insects, and live for generations.
نیمNeemAzadirachta indica
Hardy, drought-tolerant shade tree. A natural insect repellent.
شیشمSheeshamDalbergia sissoo
Classic roadside and farm tree of Punjab. Fixes nitrogen in soil.
کیکرKikarVachellia nilotica
Thrives in dry, salty land in Sindh and Balochistan. Fodder and fuel.
بیریBeriZiziphus mauritiana
Fruit tree that handles heat and poor soil. Loved by bees.
پیپلPipalFicus religiosa
Long-lived with a huge canopy. Ideal for parks and open ground.
برگدBargadFicus benghalensis
The banyan. One tree can shade an entire village square.
جامنJamanSyzygium cumini
Summer fruit, dense evergreen shade, good near canals and homes.
املتاسAmaltasCassia fistula
Golden summer blossom. A beautiful street tree that needs little water.
Why not Conocarpus? It grows fast, but it drinks heavily, is linked to pollen allergies and gives little back to local wildlife. Several Pakistani cities now discourage it. We plant native.
The shop
Wear the cause.
Profits from every order fund native tree planting. Add items to your cart and send your order to us on WhatsApp. We’ll confirm, and you pay on delivery or by bank transfer.
Plant a tree
Sponsor a sapling. We plant it and look after it.
A sapling costs little. Keeping it alive through its first two summers is the real work, and that’s what your sponsorship pays for.
You sponsor
Choose how many trees. Gift them in someone’s name if you like.
We plant native
Our team and volunteers plant at schools, parks, roadsides and farms with local partners.
We care and report
Saplings are watered and protected, and you get photos and the planting location.
Get involved
Join a plantation drive.
Students, families, companies and schools are all welcome. Tell us your city and we’ll add you to the next drive near you. Monsoon (July–September) and spring (February–March) are Pakistan’s two planting seasons.
From the blog
All articles
Learn before you plant.
Planting guide
The best native trees to plant in Pakistan, city by city
Neem for Karachi, Sheesham for Punjab, Kikar for dry land. A city-by-city guide to native trees that survive Pakistan’s heat on little water.
Read article →Native vs invasiveWhy Conocarpus is a poor choice for Pakistani cities
It grows fast and stays green, which is why it lines so many roads. But Conocarpus brings allergy, water and root problems that native trees don’t.
Read article →How toWhen to plant trees in Pakistan: a monsoon and spring planting guide
Pakistan has two planting seasons. Here is when they are, and a step-by-step guide to planting a sapling that survives its first summer.
Read article →
Follow the planting
Follow us
@treeprojectpk on Instagram
Drive announcements, before-and-after photos, and the trees you helped plant.