From poplars to pistachios, Afghans rediscover the value of trees

Under the shade of recently planted poplars in northeastern Afghanistan, village leader Ghulam Ali Poya is proud to see residents rediscover the value of trees after years of wartime deforestation. In Char Bagh, the Aga Khan Development Network funded a 1 square km grove which includes poplars, paulownias, pomegranates and persimmons. "There's good work happening, but far more needs to be done" to address the impact of global warming, according to Apoorva Oza, head of climate change at the Aga Khan Foundation. In Char Bagh, Poya sees a beneficial effect of trees in biodiversity, with the return of long-absent birds.