Oman to plant 10 million trees in 10 years

Muscat: Oman is a country known for its scenic beauty and its efforts in sustaining the pristine condition of its land and marine resources. Adding another shiny green feather to its cap, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA), in cooperation with the Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), is set to launch a national initiative to plant 10 million trees over the next ten years.

A post released in ITHRAA Oman’s (The Public Authority for Investment Promotion & Export Development.) Instagram account, mentions the statement of Dr. Thuraya, Clinical Assistant Director General for Nature Conservation, Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs.

“Planting millions of trees throughout the Sultanate is one of the most effective ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and contribute to addressing and promoting adaptation to climate change. In this context, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology research in Zurich indicates that the Earth’s ecosystems can accommodate more than 900 million additional hectares of forests, an area that exceeds the current forest area by 25%,” said Dr.Thuraya.

National initiative

“And by planting more than half a trillion trees we can reduce more than 205 gigatonnes of carbon in the world. This is equal to 20 years of emissions Carbon produced by humans at the current rate, or about half of the total carbon emitted from Earth since 1960! These facts prompted us to act quickly to confront a possible climate crisis, and therefore the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, in cooperation with the Petroleum Development Oman, is all set to launch a national initiative to plant 10 million wild trees over the next ten years. This initiative will help us protect biodiversity in Oman, restore wildlife habitats, increase green areas, combat land degradation, create economic benefits for local communities, and raise environmental awareness on the importance of plants in sustaining the natural resources,” Dr. Thuraya continued.

Among the first to support the national initiative, was Said Al Habsi, who contributed 710 seedlings towards this cause. Said Habsi is known to many people in Oman as an indefatigable cancer survivor with a bright smile whose Twitter posts are read and liked by hundreds of his followers.