Government Tree Planting
Many governments are waking up to the problem of global warming and are making plans to plant new forests. The United Nations has announced a Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and is aiming by 2030 to restore trees to 350m hectares of and across the world (an area bigger than India). These are just a few of the tree planting pledges made by individual member governments of the U.N.:
- India is currently planting 13m hectares of forest.
- Latin American governments will plant 20m hectares.
- African countries aim to plant 100m hectares.
- China is planning major reforestation.
- The UK government will plant 30 million additional trees.
Private Tree Planting
Many people across the world are so convinced that we need to have many more trees that they are taking action on a community and individual basis. Below are some examples of exciting schemes that together can turn the tide on global warming.
KENYA
Local farmers and women’s groups are planting trees to restore the forest around Mount Kenya. According to Anastacia Njoki, a member of a tree-planting group close to Mount Kenya, she and her fellow agro-foresters share experiences, as well as singing together.
Source: The Guardian newspaper 19, June 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/19/planting-billions-trees-save-planet
UGANDA
Case Study 1: Tree Planting for the Climate and to Prevent Landslides
There are a number of large initiatives to restore tree cover in Uganda. Between 1990 and 2010 Uganda lost almost one-third of its tree cover, and trees are still being felled and not being replaced.
The slopes of Mount Elgon near Mbale became badly deforested and with no tree roots to hold the soil together, heavy rains have caused major landslides. There are similar problems on the slopes of the Ruwenzoris, e.g. around Bundibugyo, where lives have been lost through landslides after tree felling for charcoal.
It has now become urgent to replant trees to stabilise the soil, prevent landslides, shade crops and to take up carbon to slow down global warming. Anet Nabumati is one of a group of farmers in the Mbale area who is being paid, with money from the government of Wales, to operate tree nurseries. Anet has been successfully raising saplings and the group have recently planted their 10 millionth tree. Anet is now diversifying her business to grow other trees and flowers, coffee plants to sell to local farmers. This new venture is providing a good living to her family and enabling her to pay school fees for her children.
Source: World Economic Forum, October 2019
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/10/wales-uganda-plant-trees-deforestation-climate-change/
Case Study 2: Rainforest-Alliance Project
Source: https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/pictures/uganda-trees-for-local-benefit
An International Non-Government Organisation (NGO) has been working with The Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST) and local farmers in the Bushenyi area to replant millions of trees to restore a habitat for wildlife and to absorb the carbon that causes climate change. The 138 farmers participating in the scheme are growing a large variety of small saplings from seed and planting them in areas where forest trees had been cleared in earlier decades.
