Asean launches region-wide greening project

[Job Bautista]

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1149647

> The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) formally launched
> on Friday a region-wide program that would ramp up restoration
> efforts and plant at least 10 million native trees in a span of 10
> years.
>
> Called the Asean Green Initiative (AGI), the program will bring
> together different stakeholders to participate in an ambitious goal
> of planting at least 10 million native trees and regrow Southeast
> Asian forests.
>
> “This landmark initiative for the Asean environment and ecosystem
> health germinated even before the pandemic began. This is even more
> crucial now as the region gears towards its long-term recovery from
> the ongoing health crisis," Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)
> Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim said in a virtual conference.
>
> Lim said the initiative would recognize greening programs and
> tree-planting initiatives by individuals and groups from any Asean
> member states that positively contribute to the bloc's sustainable
> restoration efforts.
>
> Qualified tree planting activities by participating communities or
> organizations could be documented and acknowledged as contributors to
> ecosystem restoration, combating desertification, halting land
> degradation, and curbing biodiversity loss in the Asean region.
>
> The AGI awardees, meanwhile, will be widely promoted by the ACB
> through the official AGI website, regional and international events,
> exhibitions, and other communication platforms.
>
> Proponents of selected AGI-recognized projects may also be invited to
> international conferences and events to share their greening
> practices that may be replicated by other individuals, communities,
> and entities.
>
> 'A bigger movement'
>
> The launch and implementation of the AGI are aligned with the United
> Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global movement to
> accelerate restoration goals and commitments, which commenced this
> year.
>
> The campaign is a rallying call on the urgent need to prevent, halt,
> and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide "to end poverty,
> combat climate change, and eliminate mass extinction."
>
> According to ACB, Southeast Asia region plays a vital role in this
> global call since about 60 percent of the world’s tropical peatlands,
> 42 percent of mangroves, and 15 percent of tropical forests are
> located in Asean member states.
>
> And while the region is known for its rich biodiversity, it is also
> vulnerable to climate-related risks and human-driven activities that
> drive biodiversity loss.
>
> “Restoring the condition of our ecosystem to its healthy state will
> take a whole-of-society approach. Through concerted and collaborative
> efforts that support this initiative, we can achieve incredible
> results and transform a more sustainable future for the Asean
> community,” Lim said.
>
> In the Philippines, the Department of Environment and Natural
> Resources (DENR) said there is an ongoing effort to select indigenous
> and endemic plants as reforestation species to ensure that the
> ecosystem and the wildlife that once flourished in the country's
> forests can also be restored.
>
> DENR Forest Management Bureau Division Chief Ma. Teresa Aquino added
> that the country continues to map its degraded forest lands in order
> to prioritize its reforestation activities.
>
> Aside from Manila, several Asean member states have already launched
> their own tree-planting movements like Singapore, which seeks to
> plant a million trees over a period of 10 years, and Malaysia with
> its 100 million tree-planting campaign.

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Job Bautista

An XUL fanatic, and an add-ons developer. I also do some simple
userscripts and bash scripting.

I like Cyndaquil. He's obviously the best Pokemon starter. Every Johto
Pokemon is cool too.

http://rw.rs/~job/