prijava
SARAJEVO, October 11 (FENA) - The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in partnership with 15 local governments on Monday, October 12, begins the implementation of the UNDP Initiative for a Greener and Sustainable Future, which aims to plant 10,000 seedlings in 2020.
Banja Luka, Bihać, Cazin, Doboj, Gradiška, Jablanica, Modriča, Novo Sarajevo, Odžak, Sanski Most, Srebrenik, Tešanj, Teslić, Tuzla and Zenica joined the initiative.
This initiative seeks to address the problem of air, soil and water pollution. Activities such as planting trees can have a significant impact if undertaken regularly and on a larger scale. Trees prevent landslides and soil erosion, reduce the risk of flooding, enrich the air, help fight climate change.
The seedlings will be planted in city parks, at children's playgrounds, promenades, picnic areas, schoolyards, kindergartens, hospitals and public institutions, river banks, industrial zones and other locations, the UNDP announced.
Cities across the country are facing a widespread problem of air, land and water pollution. Governments and citizens lack awareness that they are part of the solution and that simple things such as planting a tree can create significant impact if done on a large scale and on a regular basis.
Through the natural process of photosynthesis, trees absorb CO₂ and other pollutant particulates, then store the carbon and emit pure oxygen. They can help us beat air pollution and adapt to climate change.
Between 1990 and 2010, Bosnia and Herzegovina lost 1.1% of its forest cover or around 25,000 ha. Deforestation can exponentially increase the damage and severity of flooding because the faster water runs from the watershed into the river, the higher a flood will be.
In August 2020, UNDP launched Go Green initiative and invited municipalities to commit to plant trees on an annual basis.
This year the goal is to plant 10.000 trees by joint efforts of municipalities and UNDP to green the cities and picnic areas, to prevent landslides & floods, to boost agriculture, etc. UNDP’s support to Bosnia and Herzegovina on climate change and disaster resilience is shaped by three important global agreements: the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
(FENA) S. R.
