What happens when you take a 220-acre landfill, a determined environmentalist, and a bold vision for change? In Karachi, it turns into the Clifton Urban Forest — an environmental restoration project in one of Pakistan's largest cities.
Over the past three years, environmentalist Masood Lohar and his team have planted more than 700,000 trees in a former landfill on Clifton Beach, turning it into an ecological sanctuary, reported The Express Tribune.
"This particular place was a dump site," Lohar told The Express Tribune. "We cleaned the whole mess, brought in soil, and began this plantation."
Today, the forest is home to over 100 plant species, from resilient mangroves to pomegranates, and more than 140 bird species, all thriving in Karachi's challenging climate.
With over 20 million residents, Karachi faces mounting issues like severe pollution, intensifying heat waves, and dwindling green spaces. During his time working for the U.N. Development Program, Lohar saw firsthand the deteriorating air quality and environmental degradation in Pakistan's cities.
"Pakistani cities are fighting for their breath because the air quality is getting worse and worse," Lohar told The Express Tribune.
His project aims to tackle these challenges head-on by restoring parts of the city's lost marine ecosystems while also cooling its urban landscape. In 2015, a devastating heat wave killed hundreds, partly due to the city's sprawling concrete infrastructure that traps heat. By cooling the air and providing shade, the Clifton Urban Forest is already helping the city adapt to rising temperatures.
The initiative has also revived a section of the Obhayo Lagoon, bringing back wildlife like flamingos, Siberian ducks, and essential pollinators such as bees and beetles. The mangroves planted here capture an estimated 6,000 metric tons of CO2 annually — equivalent to the emissions of 1,300 cars.
Despite its success, the project faces challenges from real estate development. Rapid urbanization in Karachi has put immense pressure on the city's limited green spaces, and a construction project now threatens up to 300,000 mangroves within the forest.
🗣️ Do you worry about air pollution in your town?
🔘 All the time 💯
🔘 Often 😢
🔘 Only sometimes 😟
🔘 Never 😎
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Environmental experts commend initiatives like Lohar's for their innovation and impact, even as they acknowledge their limitations in tackling Karachi's larger environmental challenges.
"These are just tiny projects," founder of the Climate Action Center Yasir Husain told Arab News. But he added that "finding a bird sanctuary in such a stressed environment is gratifying.
"Projects like the Clifton Urban Forest demonstrate the potential for nature-focused solutions to thrive even in the most urbanized environments. Around the world, similar initiatives, such as New York City's High Line and Singapore's Gardens by the Bay, show how innovative green spaces can reshape urban living.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
