$600M National Tree Planting Project launched
– to enhance green spaces, environmental awareness
The government, the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), launched a $600 million National Tree-Planting Project on Friday to enhance green spaces and environmental awareness.
Trees planted along the Conversation Tree Boulevard at the Pike Street intersection include Palm, African Tulip, Ashoka, Silk Cotton, Neem, Flamboyant, and Acacia Mangium.
The multi-year project will be rolled out countrywide and is aligned with the government’s expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030. It underscores the administration’s commitment to combating climate change.
Speaking at the launch, Chairman of PAC Board of Directors Robert Persaud emphasised the need for community involvement and commitment to the project.
The aim is to improve the aesthetics of green spaces and offer safe recreational and relaxation spaces for citizens to indulge in various activities.
Persaud explained, “This exercise is done not only to preserve, enhance and expand our green spaces but also it is to bring the people of Guyana together and enhance their awareness of the need to protect our environment. But more particularly, [it is] for us to beat that culture of littering and beat that culture of not respecting the space in which we occupy.”
The chairman said the project is a representation of the transformation that is taking place in Guyana, with the new highways and other developmental projects.
The project’s first phase seeks to transform and beautify newly constructed highways, hospitals, schools, and government buildings.
The execution of this multi-year project is being undertaken by PAC with support from the Guyana Forestry Commission, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute, the Environmental Protection Agency, local businesses, Ministries of Public Works, Education, Health and Local Government and Regional Development.
Globally recognised for its forest management and conservation efforts, Guyana continues to serve as an example of how the environment, forests, and biodiversity can be protected to support livelihoods. The country has preserved the second-highest percentage of forest cover, with over 90 per cent of its forest remaining intact. Guyana’s forests store an estimated 19.5 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide, with the capacity to absorb an additional 154 million tonnes annually.
