Beirut is in desperate need of green areas. Trees purify the air and add bright colors to the urban landscape.
Green Cedar Lebanon proposed to the Municipality of Beirut a project called “Making Cities Green” that can solve this issue. Green Cedar Lebanon will plant 10,452 trees over the course of ten years. The trees will be planted in different areas of the Lebanese capital, and they will be of multiple types.
The Mayor of Beirut Jamal Itani and the representative of Green Cedar Lebanon’s Executive Director Pascale Choueiry Saad signed the agreement today under the patronage of the Prime Minister Saad Hariri who planted the first tree in the Grand Serail.
Hariri believes that this is a wonderful initiative which will protect Lebanon’s environment. He noted that Lebanon needs to plant more trees to meet international standards.
Since its launch in 2007, Green Cedar Lebanon has been working to respond to the environmental disaster that is afflicting Lebanon’s forests due to fires, urban violations, quarries, sand mines, and random dumps that gradually eliminate wide forests and green areas in different parts of Lebanon.
The company implemented several programs aimed at lobbying, raising awareness and collecting donations and grants to reforest the zones destroyed by the fires and increase the green areas in Lebanon. In recent years, we have been accustomed to participating and supporting reforestation campaigns in areas far from cities with municipalities, associations and schools in different regions of Lebanon.
According to Green Cedar Lebanon’s Executive Director Pascale Choueiry Saad: “We are launching this campaign today, under the patronage of Prime Minister Sheikh Saad Hariri and in partnership with the Beirut Municipal Council. It is part of the “Making Cities Green” campaign in order to increase green spaces, especially in the Lebanese capital, as we are in dire need of improving the quality of air and environment as well as increasing the green spaces in the city where the vast majority of Lebanese citizens live and work”.
“Accordingly, today we announce our commitment to plant 1,500 trees annually, within a long-term program of up to ten years to reach the planting of 10452 trees, equivalent to the size of our beloved Lebanon, in locations determined with the municipality, the selection of trees based on the specificity of different sites, taking into account compliance with all agricultural engineering standards in terms of biological diversity, quality of trees, age, size, places of planting, methods of maintenance and care, as determined by the competent departments in the municipality.It is worth noting that all trees that are to be planted will range from 2 to 3 meters in height. AFDC, the Association for Forests, Development and Conservation, will carry out all planting and follow-up activities during the 10 years in cooperation with the Municipality.”.Choueiry Saad added.
Finally, Choueiry Saad thanked all those who contributed to the launching of this campaign, particularly: Banque du Liban Governor, Mr. Riad Salameh for allowing this project to see the light.
UNDP Energy and Environment Program Manager Edgard Chehab, for his continuous support and encouragement. Last but not least, our sincerest gratitude goes to his excellency PM Hariri for always being the first sponsor of all projects that contribute to bettering Lebanon’s image.
