Egypt planted over 7.2 million trees during this fiscal year as part of a national strategy to counteract climate change, the Minister of Local Development, Hisham Amna, reported.
Quoted by the Al-Ahram daily, the official said that the number is part of a project to plant a total of 100 million trees in Egypt by 2029.
The initiative is a joint effort between three government entities: the local development and environment ministries and the New Urban Communities Authority.
The idea was launched last summer as a way of fighting climate change and is in line with the objectives of the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held last November in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.
The goal is to increase people’s access to green spaces across the country, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gases and increase overall public health, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly recently stressed.
In addition to planting trees, the project also plans to establish new forests and public parks throughout the nation´s geography.