Tree planting campaign

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 10/22/2007 4:09 PM  |  Opinion

It is my pleasure to inform you that the United Nations Environment Program launched its first global tree planting project on Nov. 8, 2006, in Nairobi during the 12th Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Placed under the patronage of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai and His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, the campaign is raising awareness of the inter-dependence between humankind and the planet's ecosystems, as well as the linkages between tree planting and climate change mitigation, the restoration of biodiversity, air and soil quality and food security.

Under the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, governments, private companies, United Nations agencies, civil society organizations, farmers, local authorities and the public are encouraged to enter tree-planting pledges on the dedicated website www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign, with the objective of planting and caring for a total of one billion trees worldwide in the course of the year 2007.

The success has been phenomenal. Today, the website records over a billion tree planting pledges from around the world and from all spheres of society, from the grassroots level to the highest positions in decision-making.

To define the pace of development, which is both equitable and sustainable, one has to take into account the increased vulnerability of ecosystems to the phenomenon of climate change.

The Fourth Assessment Report of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change provides specific information on the nature of future impacts.

Climate change is projected to impinge on sustainable development in most developing countries as it compounds the pressures on natural resources and the environment associated with rapid urbanization and economic development.

Glacier melt will be followed by decreased river flows, and freshwater availability is projected to decrease. By the 2050s, billions of people could be adversely affected. Endemic morbidity and mortality are expected to rise due to increases in coastal water temperatures.

Therefore, in the face of recent alarming data, the Billion Tree Campaign offers hope and a simple solution for climate change mitigation, while enriching biodiversity.

MERYEM AMAR
Nairobi, Kenya

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