3,890 mangroves planted in ‘less than two hours’ in Bahrain
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Report by Zahra Ayaz
In less than two hours, volunteers from CleanUp Bahrain (CUP) and the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture planted an additional 3,890 mangrove plants in South Sitra.
Around 25 volunteers took part in the event, opening the door for larger numbers in the upcoming mangrove planting project to cover wider areas.
Ruqaya Hashem, co-founder and vice president of Cleanup Bahrain, told The Daily Tribune that the campaign has been very unique and a first of its kind for Cleanup Bahrain, as it was both a cleanup and a green up all in one.
“As part of a collaboration with the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, and as an ongoing effort to plant over 230,000 mangroves by the year 2023, the members and volunteers of Cleanup Bahrain took part in cleaning up the designated beach from washed-up natural algae that cover the newly planted mangroves.
“These are yet to grow, and they are hindered by the sun that they require to take root and grow. After cleaning the area, the volunteers continued planting the remaining area with more mangrove seedlings, adding up to a total of 3,890 mangroves planted in less than two hours.
“The waste that was collected was all natural algae that had covered the mangroves and hindered them from growing.”
CleanUp Bahrain is an enthusiastic and proactive group of Bahraini and expatriate volunteers that aim to make a difference in society by actively hosting beach clean-ups all over the Kingdom.
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister has highlighted the Kingdom’s commitment to raising climate and environmental awareness through the provision of initiatives, policies, and programs aimed at strengthening climate-smart sustainable development.
The Municipal Affairs and Agriculture Minister, Eng. Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, reviewed the accomplishments last year of quadrupling mangrove coverage and doubling tree coverage across the Kingdom.
It showcased the success of achieving 100 per cent of its annual afforestation goal by planting 110,000 seedlings of mangrove trees, and approximately 140,000 trees across several governorates.
Bahrain’s afforestation plan aims to double the number of trees by 2035, with mangrove trees increasing four-fold as per the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change goals.
The plan also includes several initiatives, such as increasing the number of trees in government projects, encouraging community collaboration to maximise green space, and encouraging individuals to participate in afforestation.
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