Nearly 600,000 trees have been planted so far under the government's Five Million Trees Programme, the Minister of Tourism and Environment, Thoriq Ibrahim has stated.
The Minister made the announcement while responding to a question posed by a citizen on the ‘Ahaa Forum’, a public engagement programme aimed at facilitating direct interaction between government officials and the public.
The Five Million Trees Programme, a key presidential pledge of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, was first announced by him at the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) held in Dubai. The programme, which aims to plant a total of five million trees over five years, was officially launched on the Environment Day last year. Government-owned companies and various agencies, as well as private companies and individuals are contributing to the project.
According to the Minister, over the last year, a total of 595,000 trees have been planted in various islands across the Maldives. This amount includes contributions from State Owned Enterprises, tourist resorts, island councils, private individuals, as well as companies, he said.
The Five Million Trees Programme is the largest tree planting programme to be implemented in the Maldives to date.
The Five Million Trees Programme, launched last year, is the largest tree planting initiative undertaken in the Maldives. More than 500,000 trees have been planted so far under the programme. Although the programme aims to plant five million trees, 6.3 million trees have already been pledged by various institutes and individual, exceeding the target. The government aims to plant at least two million trees by the end of this year.
The government has stated that the current tree planting initiative will be different to similar initiatives undertaken in the past. While previous efforts lacked sustainability, the current programme is designed with long-term success in mind. President Dr Muizzu’s administration has affirmed its commitment to the continuity of the programme.
The programme also gives priority to planting and reviving endangered species of plants. As part of these efforts, 90 tree species endangered in the Maldives have been listed, and are being prioritised for planting. The government requests the participation of all citizens to ensure the programme’s success.