A total of 115 local and ornamental saplings were planted at the Tree Planting Programme themed 'Cultivating a Healthy Environment' at Bintulu Golf Club yesterday. Among the trees planted are four rare species consisting of durian, dabai, petai, kasai as well as one local forest tree species namely engkabang and asoka ornamental tree.

The programme organised by the Faculty of Agricultural Science and Forestry of Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus (UPMKB) in collaboration with Bintulu Development Authority (BDA), Bintulu Golf Club and Bintulu Department of Environment (DOE) was held in conjunction with the 45th anniversary of BDA and 60 Years of Sarawak Merdeka.

The greening programme is also in line with Sarawak's call to plant 35 million trees to support Malaysia's agenda through the 100 million trees planting campaign in the period 2021 to 2025, thus reducing the effects of climate change and the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the Earth's atmosphere.

It also aims to promote continuous and sustainable carbon storage through tree planting activities, a nature-based approach where the sustainability of greening is important for future generations to keep the earth healthy, clean and safe to live in.

Speaking at the opening of the programme, BDA General Manager Datu Muhamad Yakup Kari said the tree planting activity is a necessity and not an option to meet the challenges ahead.

He said such programmes are able to bring the local community together to create a safe city to live in, clean and healthy environment in the direction of urban green sustainability.

"The greening program is based on the BDA Strategic Plan 2024-2030 themed 'Towards a Low Carbon Industrial Hub by 2030' by creating a holistic and balanced future atmosphHe said the greening programme was important to create a close agreement between various government and private agencies to jointly mitigate the effects of climate change.

In the meantime, UPMKB also expressed its deepest appreciation to the BDA for sponsoring this program in full.

This activity was conducted by its programme director Lydia Soloma Jalong (BDA) in collaboration with Abdul Mazli Hafiz Abdul Malik (JAS Bintulu) and Assoc. Prof Dr. Geoffery James Gerusu (UPMKB).

The programme was officiated by BDA Deputy Chairman Dato Haidar Khan Asghar Khan and also present were BDA Deputy General Manager Abdul Rahim Abdullah, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Science and Forestry UPMKB Dr. Zamri Rosli and Bintulu Golf Club Manager, Akbar Jahan Amir Hamzah.

Date of Input: 18/09/2023 | Updated: 18/09/2023 | lanz