Ghani declares March 10 as National Tree Planting Day

As government officials around the country planted saplings on Wednesday, President Ashraf Ghani issued a decree declaring March 10 as National Tree Planting Day, the Presidential Palace (ARG) said in a statement.

According to ARG, Ghani has instructed officials at ministries and government departments in Kabul and the provinces to officially hold a tree planting day on this day every year.

Planting events must be carried out in coordination with the Department of Environmental Protection and relevant municipalities, read the statement.

According to the statement, Ghani also instructed government educational institutions, both civilian and military, in Kabul and provinces, to also participate in the national campaign.

Ghani also called on civil society and other organizations to participate in this national campaign, and urged the owners of companies and industrial and commercial facilities to contribute to the financing of the National Tree Planting Campaign.

Speaking at a tree planting event in Kabul Abdullah Abdullah the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation said global climate change has had a negative impact on countries including Afghanistan.

He said there has been a decrease in water in the country due to not only an increase in population in cities but also because of climate change.

A tree “planting campaign or green belt is one of the things that can help us in this area and protect us from the effects of climate change,” he said.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock said 37.8 million trees are ready for planting across the country this year.

The ministry said that last year, nearly 17 million trees were planted in Afghanistan.