WWF Pakistan marked GIS Day 2025 with the launch of its Plantation Dashboard, a geospatial platform designed to bring a new level of transparency, scientific accuracy, and digital accountability to landscape restoration across the country. The platform offers a detailed, interactive view of one of Pakistan’s largest conservation led plantation programmes, providing real time access to verified data, mapped restoration sites, and analytics that demonstrate environmental impact. Developed locally by specialists at the Richard Garstang Geographic Information Systems Lab, the dashboard integrates field intelligence with spatial technology to present the national restoration footprint in a format accessible to policymakers, researchers, private sector partners, and the public.
The dashboard reflects tree plantation progress as of October 2025, with WWF Pakistan and its partners planting 10.36 million trees in coastal zones, riverine forests, arid regions, and community led landscapes. These plantations contribute an estimated 231 thousand eight hundred metric tons of annual carbon sequestration, underscoring their importance to Pakistan’s natural climate mitigation strategy. According to Ibrahim Khan, Director Forest Conservation at WWF Pakistan, restoring degraded landscapes remains central to Pakistan’s climate resilience. He noted that the platform provides a scientifically credible way to present progress, showing how each plantation contributes to habitat recovery, biodiversity support, and community based environmental outcomes.
Through its interactive map, the dashboard allows users to explore each verified plantation site while examining regional trends and performance. Provincial insights indicate that Sindh accounts for fifty two percent of plantation activity, followed by Punjab at thirty three percent, reflecting targeted strategies in areas where large scale restoration can have the highest ecological impact. The platform also highlights contributions from coastal mangrove efforts, riverine ecosystem rehabilitation, and afforestation projects developed in partnership with communities. A live carbon sequestration gauge tracks climate benefits in alignment with Pakistan’s commitments under the Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goal 13, and national initiatives such as the Ten Billion Tree Afforestation Programme.
Usman Akram, Senior Manager GIS at WWF Pakistan, explained that the dashboard functions not only as a digital visualisation tool but also as a decision support system. By combining spatial intelligence with environmental indicators and on ground verification, the platform enables evidence based planning for restoration and conservation. It allows stakeholders to understand ecological patterns, monitor progress, and identify priority landscapes for future work. The combination of geospatial science and field data helps ensure accountability across restoration projects, strengthening public trust and enabling partners to assess long term sustainability.
WWF Pakistan noted that the launch of the Plantation and Carbon Sequestration Dashboard reinforces its commitment to using technology and scientific tools to guide climate resilience. The organisation continues to expand collaborations with provincial governments, the private sector, and communities to scale restoration across ecologically significant areas. With the dashboard now providing measurable insights and transparent reporting, WWF Pakistan intends to broaden the use of spatial technology in restoring critical habitats and supporting Pakistan’s environmental goals in the years ahead.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
