GOVERNMENT officials and people across the kingdom yesterday celebrated the launch of the National Tree Week which will be held annually in the third week of October.
Saplings were planted across the four governorates after the initiative was approved by the Cabinet on Monday, following the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
HRH Prince Salman marked the beginning of the week-long event by planting a tree at Gudaibiya Palace.
The drive aligns with the kingdom’s plan to plant 3.6 million trees by 2035, contribute to the kingdom’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 and to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Oil and Environment Minister and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs Dr Mohammed Bin Daina praised the initiative which aims to enhance awareness in Bahraini society.
“The initiative will contribute to spreading a culture of environmentally-friendly practices by planting trees and increasing the number of green spaces,” he said after planting a tree in Dohat Arad.
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“A number of events and awareness campaigns will be launched in relevant public and private sectors to highlight the importance of afforestation.”
Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak planted a number of trees at the Zayed Town Walkway in the presence of officials and ministry employees.
Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa also planted a sapling at the ministry in Manama and expressed interest in spreading green spaces at all the security and service facilities.
Industry and Commerce Minister Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro planted trees in the Salman Industrial Zone, while Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam planted a tree at the National Assembly premises.
Information Minister Dr Ramzan Al Nuaimi, National Communication Centre chief executive Ahmed Khalid Al Arifi and a number of editors-in-chief of local newspapers, including GDN Responsible Editor and Akhbar Al Khaleej Editor-in-Chief Anwar Abdulrahman, planted a number of trees at the ministry complex in Isa Town.
Northern Municipality officials planted trees on the coast of Salman Town, while the Southern Municipality planted saplings on the coast of Askar.
Tree planting also took place at Kubra Garden by the Muharraq Municipality with the help of students and volunteers and on the coast of Sitra by the Capital Trustees Board.
Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry Under-Secretary Shaikh Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Khalifa praised the initiative, expressing how it brings together citizens and residents for a common cause.
“This is a national project,” he said. “Everybody, regardless of their background, can come together and work towards something good.
“We have received a positive response to the initiative, and several people have reached out asking what they can do.
“The ministry can reaffirm its dedication towards such projects, and are eager to help those looking to contribute, not just during National Tree Week, but also beyond.”
National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) secretary general Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa highlighted the importance of the initiative as well as the role of the Forever Green campaign in increasing the number of green spaces in the country.
“Such initiatives are the result of a joint effort by the public and private sectors,” she said.
“Everyone has been working towards a single goal, it is paying off for the people of the kingdom.
“We have been working closely with other ministries and government agencies to reach our national target of 3.6m trees by 2035, and initiatives such as National Tree Week and Forever Green go a long way to building a better future for Bahrain.”
The GDN reported in May that Bahrain’s efforts to increase green cover are paying off according to images posted by the National Space Science Agency.
The high-resolution ‘before and after’ images of Al Farooq Junction in Manama showed a 40 per cent increase in green coverage between 2019 and 2023. The area was monitored as part of the Forever Green initiative in October 2021.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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