Tue, Nov 8, 2011
More than 12 billion trees have now been
planted in 193 countries under the Billion
Tree Campaign, organised by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP).
Nairobi, 8 November 2011 - More than 12
billion trees have now been planted in 193
countries under the Billion Tree Campaign,
organised by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP).
UN International Year of Forests 2011The
12 billion landmark was reached earlier
this month following a tree planting campaign
carried out in Kenya by the Green Africa
Foundation.
One of thousands of
individuals and organisations to have participated
in the Billion Tree Campaign since its inception
in 2007, the Green Africa Foundation plants
trees in villages and schools in Eastern
Kenya. To date, the foundation has planted
over 24 million trees.
Inspired by the work
of the late Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari
Maathai, the Billion Tree Campaign aims
to improve the quality of life in communities
across the world through the multiple benefits
provided by trees. These include tackling
climate change through the sequestration
of carbon, contributing to local economies
through products such as timber and providing
valuable ecosystem services such as soil
regulation, erosion control and cultural
values.
Today, over 1 billion
people depend on forests for their livelihoods.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), the forest industry contributes around
US$468 billion to global GDP.
The Billion Tree Campaign
is active in all United Nations member states,
including the most recent addition to the
UN family, South Sudan, which joined the
initiative in September 2011.
China is the leading
participating country, having planted a
total of 2.8 billion trees under the campaign.
India is currently in second place with
2.1 billion trees, followed by Ethiopia,
Mexico and Turkey.
Recent contributions
to the campaign include a million trees
planted by the Organization for Forests
in Flanders, Belgium. Last month, the organisation
dedicated the millionth tree planted under
the initiative to the memory of Wangari
Maathai, co-patron of the Billion Tree Campaign,
who died in September 2011.
In the United States,
the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative
and its partners have registered 10.9 million
trees planted during 2011.
Under the Billion Tree
Campaign, individuals and organisations,
including youth groups, schools, businesses
or national governments, can pledge to plant
trees on the campaign website: www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign
Pledges range from a
single tree to several million trees.
The responsibility for
planting the tree lies with the individual
or organisation. They are encouraged to
keep in touch with UNEP's Billion Tree Campaign
team to provide updates on the condition
of the planted trees, as well as sending
photos of their tree-planting activities.
The Billion Tree Campaign also provides
tips on planting trees and how to help ensure
their survival.
+ More
The International Day
for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment
in War & Conflict - Statement by Ban
Ki-moon
Fri, Nov 4, 2011
Since the declaration, ten years ago, of
the International Day for Preventing the
Exploitation of the Environment in War and
Armed Conflict, the UN family has made important
progress in understanding the complex relationship
between war and the environment, and the
role that natural resources play in fuelling
and financing instability and violence.
From Sierra Leone to
Timor-Leste, countries have been helped
to mitigate the environmental risks to building
peace and to harness the economic potential
of sustainably using their natural resources.
However, there is still major cause for
concern. The environment continues to be
among the casualties of warfare. At the
same time, the demand for natural resources
continues to grow to meet the needs of a
rising global population. Fragile nations,
including post-conflict countries, could
face significant resource competition in
the coming decades. This will only be exacerbated
by the predicted consequences of climate
change on water availability, food security,
sea-level rise and population distribution.
Strengthening national
capacity for transparent, equitable and
sustainable management of natural resources
will continue to be an important part of
peacekeeping and peacebuilding, as well
as our overall development support to Member
States. Given their critical role in supporting
countries emerging from conflict, United
Nations peacekeeping operations are well-placed
to positively influence how the environment
is protected and natural resources are managed.
This can start with minimizing the environmental
footprint of our own operations.
As we mark this
International Day, let us recognize the
wide-ranging and long-term consequences
of damaging the environment - both in peace
and times of war. And let us reaffirm our
commitment to the sustainable management
of natural resources as a critical element
of durable peace and security.
