Pakistan’s chilgoza pine forest project wins prestigious UN award in Italy

Pakistan’s flagship initiative to restore its Chilgoza pine forests has earned major global recognition, receiving the 'UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration World Restoration Flagship Award' in Italy.

The award, granted for the project titled Reversing Deforestation and Degradation in High Conservation Value Chilgoza Pine Forests, was announced during the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Forum in Rome.

Launched in 2018 and set to conclude in 2025, the restoration project is part of the global Restoration Initiative. It represents a collaboration between Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change, provincial forest departments, and the FAO. The programme focuses on the conservation and rehabilitation of the ecologically significant Chilgoza pine forests found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan, according to FAO officials.

Chilgoza pine nuts are a valuable natural product, contributing over $25 million annually to Pakistan’s economy. FAO said that the project’s successful model is now being expanded with national support, including $3 million in funding from the KP Forestry Department.

So far, restoration efforts have revived about 20 per cent of degraded Chilgoza forest areas, largely through community-based, income-generating activities such as pine nut processing and forest management initiatives.

At the award ceremony, Dr. Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah, Adviser to the Prime Minister, highlighted the project’s tangible progress, noting that 3,800 hectares of degraded forest land have already been restored through the initiative.

He commended the joint efforts of local communities, government agencies, and international partners, describing the recognition as “a proud moment for Pakistan’s commitment to environmental sustainability.”