Egypt’s Minister of Local Development, Hisham Amna, said on Sunday that the government aims to plant 7.7 million trees during the current fiscal year in all governorates within the framework of the presidential initiative to plant 100 million trees.
He explained that the initiative targets 9900 sites across the governorates on an area of 6,600 acres suitable for tree forests or parks, and to provide the necessary agricultural seedlings, which will be implemented over a period of seven years, starting from the current fiscal year.
Amna added that during the initiative, the ministry contributes to planting 79.7 million trees, and the Ministries of Environment and Housing are completing the planting of 20.3 million trees, according to the numbers set for each.
This comes within the framework of the Egyptian state’s efforts in the climate change file, and coincides with the 27th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), which Egypt will host in November in Sharm el-Sheikh.
The minister said that the ministry aims to plant 7.7 million trees during the current fiscal year, of which 5 million trees are planted by the ministry, in addition to 2.7 the governorates are committed to planting.
Amna pointed out that the initiative aims to improve air quality, reduce the risks of global warming, preserve the public health of citizens, combat food poverty, increase the green area, provide job opportunities that work in planting new trees, and achieve economic benefit for the state.
He revealed that the work begins in the initiative of an extensive afforestation campaign on both sides of the highways, and some sites that have been spotted to be exploited to be central parks.
Amna noted that the treated sewage water will be used to irrigate trees, beautify bridges using ornamental trees, and paint the facades of real estate and buildings overlooking those bridges.
He directed the executive bodies in the governorates, in coordination with NGOs active in the field of environmental improvement, members of Parliament, popular leaders, youth and businessmen, to promote the “100 Million Trees” initiative.
Amna directed the planting of trees on roads, within the scope of government bodies such as schools, universities, youth centers, as well as industrial areas, main, regional and ring roads, and entrances to cities, villages, and main squares.
He also directed to raise awareness of the importance of preserving and caring for planted trees, while studying the cultivation of trees with economic returns, whether they are fruit trees or wooden trees, according to the appropriate climatic conditions for each site.
