The year 2020 was expected to be a “super year for nature”, designed to propel the climate and biodiversity agendas onto the global stage. Nature itself, however, had other plans. The two striking lessons emerging out of the ensuing COVID-19 crisis are firstly, that nature operates with limits and thresholds which demand respect, and when crossed, have consequences. As humans pushed the thresholds of their existence, nature reacted and triggered the zoonotic pandemic which has now engulfed a shocked world. The second lesson emerged with hope – that a renewed and sustainable relationship with nature is possible, and within reach, but needs to be backed by political commitment and collective action. Both lessons are forcing a rebalancing of our relationship with nature. Over the past few months, while many countries grappled to come to terms with this new normal, Pakistan was willing to think ahead and act out of the box – sensing a silver lining emerge around this black cloud of confusion and uncertainty. The government’s green agenda, built upon the successful implementation of the Billion Tree Tsunami (2014-18), had already accepted the premise that nature based solutions not only protect and preserve nature but also have the potential to spur an alternate green economy. More importantly, it had effectively created the launch pad for a directional shift of the economy towards sustainable growth. Against this backdrop, the COVID-19 crisis provided an opportunity and Pakistan seized it to break out of the depression and reboot a stressed economy with a “Green Stimulus” focused on two objectives: protecting nature and creating green jobs. The focal areas for intervention included planting more trees, expanding and reviving our protected areas and improving urban sanitation – all of which could generate quick employment while also allowing the country to come out of the crisis on a nature-positive pathway.

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