 |
| Search |
|
|
 |
|
May 15 is a National Tree Planting Day. What this day demonstrates is the benefits that a society gains from planting as many trees as possible and protecting them. Since forestation requires an organized effort of the public and government, May 15 reminds us to provide our contribution to environmental protection by planting at lest one tree each.
Due to the successive draughts and wars that hit Eritrea over the last century, the country needs to exert more effort in developing its green areas. After independence, different activities for planting trees, such as students’ summer campaign, food for work, Martyrs’ Day planting trees and others made good progress in the development of the national forests.
The Ministry of Agriculture beginning last year has been awarding prizes to institutions, communities, individuals, organizations and villages that make significant contribution to the forestry development plan. The awardees are those who plant a number of trees that cover a wider area and those who make necessary supervision to care for the trees. The award includes a certificate of acknowledgement and cash that ranges from 3,000 to 10,000 Nakfa.
Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture conducted a meeting that asses the 2007/2008 afforestation activities. In a statement he made to the participants, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Arefayne Berhe said that although May 15 is known as ‘tree planting day’, it also includes and enhances the wildlife in the country. He also reminded the audience that the damage that used to happen to our trees and wild animals has not been addressed yet. “So, every individual in general and forestry workers in particular should work hard to solve the instance,” he said.
The Minister further stated that since the current national development level is low and dependency on wood as source of energy is high, people are forced to cut trees. However, unnecessary cutting of trees is unacceptable and illegal, he added. According to the Ministry’s proclamation, everyone who cut a tree should plant from five to ten trees to replace it.
The Government has issued proclamation number 155/2006 that protects trees and wild animals. Forming green clubs that was started in the Junior and Secondary School of Senafe last year, has now been established in 20 schools and is expected to be organized in all the schools in the country.
The NUEYS and other organizations also played significant role in the plantation endeavors. Using different occasions, NUEYS members, has been actively participating in planting trees throughout the country.
The plantation plans for the current year is twice that of last year. The Ministry also plans to continue its awarding prizes to encourage the development of planting habit and create a work sprit among individuals and communities.
Increasing public awareness is the best alternative for developing green areas in the country. “When we avoid the wrong habit of cutting trees and increase our tree planting habit, we could easily see the green country that we wish to have,” said Mr. Arefaine.
At the Ministry of Agriculture, the coordinator of the Community Plantation Program, Mr. Fkreyesus Ghilay, stated that there were 20 nurseries at national and community levels in 2006. However, the number was raised to 30 in 2007. Similarly, the Ministry of Agriculture prepared 3.7 million seedlings in 2007 compared to 1.7 million in 2006. This showed a 117 percentage increase.
According to Mr. Fkreyesus, since independence more than 30,000 hectares of land were terraced ad planted with different species of trees and about 200,000 hectares were reserved as green area.
Speaking about activities for the year 2008, he said that 34 nurseries are expected to produce 12.3 million seedlings and already 5.6 have been prepared so far.
The forest resources in Eritrea are known to be rare, degraded and placed under an increasing human and livestock pressures for divers needs such as firewood, construction materials, grazing and agriculture. It is true that not much forest was left from what was reported to exist even only a century ago. But it is also true that Eritrea is still endowed in many of its parts of a sizeable forest cover that plays an important social and economic role in the nation. The forestry formations, which include the highland forests (Juniperus procera, and Olea africana) which cover about 0.8 %, mixed woodlands of Acacia spp. and associated species, grasslands and woodland, riverine forests and mangrove vegetation cover about 13.5 % of the total surface area of the country. (fao.org)
© Copyright 2001-2008 Shaebia.org
Top of Page
|
|
|
Contributed Articles
recent additions
|
|
