About Project

REDD+ stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, plus conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The project has been designed to help Khyber Pakhtunkhwa establish an enabling environment for REDD+ interventions and carbon-credit development.

The project responds to the increasing impacts of climate change, including floods, droughts, glacier melting, erratic rainfall, heat waves, pests and other environmental pressures. Forests play an important role in climate-change mitigation because they store carbon and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The project therefore promotes sustainable forest management while developing mechanisms through which carbon benefits can be measured, verified and potentially marketed.

The first phase of the REDD+ initiative resulted in important foundations, including the KP REDD+ Strategy, REDD+ Action Plan, review of forest policy/laws, social and environmental safeguards, and a benefit-sharing mechanism for different forest tenure systems. Some activities, particularly preparation and implementation of the pilot Project Design Document (PDD), could not be completed because of COVID-19. The present/revised phase is intended to carry forward the remaining work and develop large-scale carbon projects.

Mission

To strengthen sustainable forest management through accurate carbon assessment, REDD+ readiness, and transparent carbon-market development—creating lasting environmental, economic, and community benefits for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Vision

To position Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a leader in forest-carbon management, climate resilience, and credible carbon markets, where healthy forests drive sustainable development and a low-carbon future.

Expected Outcomes

A strengthened Forest Department with robust MRV systems, skilled technical capacity, effective safeguards, and investment-ready forest-carbon projects unlocking climate, conservation, and economic opportunities for the province.

Message from the Secretary

"Forests are among our most valuable natural assets in the fight against climate change. This project represents a significant step toward understanding, in scientific and verifiable terms, the true carbon value of our national forest estate. I am proud of the collaboration between government, researchers, and international partners that has made this assessment possible, and I look forward to the policy impact this data will have for years to come."

Secretary of Environment

Message from the Project Director

"Delivering a national carbon stock assessment of this scale requires rigorous field work, sound science, and close coordination across dozens of teams. Every plot measured and every satellite image processed brings us closer to a dataset the country can rely on for its climate commitments. I am grateful to every field officer, GIS analyst, and partner organization who has contributed to this effort."

Project Director

Message from the Secretary

Secretary of Environment

0Hectares Surveyed

0tCO2e Carbon Estimated

0Districts Covered

0Research Publications

0GIS Layers

0Project Partners

Project Timeline

Project Inception

2023

Baseline & Design

2023

Field Data Collection

2024

Remote Sensing Analysis

2024

Validation & QA

2025

National Report

2025

REDD+ and Climate Change

REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) is a UNFCCC mechanism that incentivizes developing countries to protect and enhance forest carbon stocks. Accurate carbon stock data is the technical foundation that makes REDD+ results-based finance possible — without credible measurement, verified emission reductions cannot be claimed.

Project Scope

The assessment covers all major forest types across eighteen districts, combining over a thousand field inventory plots with wall-to-wall satellite coverage to produce both district-level and national carbon stock estimates.