President Calls For Tree Planting To Curb Climate Change

Pare-pare, South Sulawesi, Feb 20 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has urged the public to plant trees to help curb the impacts of climatic changes. "Why should we be diligent in planting trees? We should, so as to prevent landslides and floods, to provide oxygen, and curb the impacts of global warming," the President stated here on Thursday, when attending a tree planting event. He informed the students present at the event that tree planting and caring activities could help ensure food provision and ground water reserves. As part of the government`s commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2020, Indonesia has pledged to plant billions of trees across the country. During the period 2010 to 2013, the country planted at least one billion trees under the tree-planting program. The number has continued to increase and is expected to touch two billion in 2014, Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan stated recently. The minister noted that Indonesia had been consistent in implementing sustainable development by preserving its forests for the future generation. While observing Indonesia`s Tree Planting Day and National Tree Planting Month in West Java, on December 8, 2009, the head of state had urged the nation to plant 4 billion trees by 2020 and 9.2 billion trees by 2050.