By Arsalan Ali ISLAMABAD, March 28, (INP-WealthPK): The government has contributed positively to controlling global warming by launching the ambitious Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme keeping in view the fact that Pakistan is vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to rapid industrialisation and extensive burning of fossil fuels that generate greenhouse gas emissions. The climate change phenomenon in Pakistan has resulted in increased monsoon variability, the fast melting of Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalayan (HKH) glaciers, back-to-back floods in 2010, the greatest drought period (1998-2002), more recent droughts in Tharparker and Cholistan, an intense heatwave in Karachi in particular and southern Pakistan in general in July 2015, and strong windstorms in Islamabad in June 2016. The Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme’s Phase-I is a four-year (2019-2023) project with a total cost of Rs125 billion. The ministry of climate change in collaboration with the provincial and territorial forest and wildlife agencies is implementing the initiative across Pakistan. The ultimate goal of this project is to revitalise Pakistan's forest and wildlife resources, to improve the overall protection of existing protected areas, and to promote eco-tourism, community participation, and job development via conservation. Increasing emissions of greenhouse gases from human activity raise temperatures and trap the sun's heat. Concentrations of greenhouse gases are at their highest level in two million years, and still continue to rise. As a result, the earth is about 1.11°C warmer now than it was in 1800s. According to World Meteorological Organisation, average global temperature in 2021 was about 1.11 (± 0.13) °C above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) levels. From 2015-2021, the global temperature has been over 1°C. The global warming is interconnected as a change in the climate of one area affects the inhabitants of other areas. The emissions that cause climate change come from all parts of the world and affect everyone. Some countries emanate greenhouse gases more than others, while the 100 countries with the lowest emissions account for 3% of total emissions, and the 10 largest emitters contribute 68%. International agreements exist to tackle climate change such as the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Emission reduction, financing of required adjustments and climate adaptation are the three broad types of actions to control greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change effects can be controlled by taking the precautions like converting energy systems from fossil fuels to renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric. Plantation of trees is one of the simplest and most effective ways of countering climate change as they remove carbon dioxide from the air, store carbon in trees and soil, and release oxygen into the atmosphere. GHG emissions from transportation also pollute the environment. Electric vehicles are the best option because they emit fewer air pollutants and greenhouse gases than petrol or diesel-run vehicles. Though everyone should act against climate change, the countries that are major emitters of emissions have a greater responsibility to act fast to help control the effects of climate change such as water shortages, severe droughts, floods, rising sea levels, warming oceans, catastrophic storms, melting glaciers and declining biodiversity that wreak havoc on people’s livelihoods and communities.