Plant trees for a Greener WORLD
It’s hard to imagine a world without trees. Thanks to trees, people are able to breathe oxygen and many species of wildlife have a home, ensuring the sustainability of the environment and wildlife. Thanks to trees, air quality improves, water is conserved, soil is preserved, and carbon dioxide is absorbed, which contributes to global efforts to combat global warming. Like so, the benefits of trees make a long list.
In this sense, Mongolia declared the second Saturdays of May and October as National Tree Planting Days as per a presidential decree issued by then-President Ts.Elbegdorj on April 14, 2010. Mongolia became the 33rd country to have a designated celebration for tree planting. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism, relevant organizations, and associations are in the process of planning events dedicated to growing and nurturing trees, raising public awareness about environmental protection, and motivating the public to take up more eco-friendly lifestyles. However, the date is yet to be determined due to delays caused by the pandemic.
Since the presidential decree, Mongolia has celebrated National Tree Planting Day 19 times, organizing large-scale tree planting campaigns across the nation. Then-President Ts.Elbegdorj personally took part in the first National Tree Planting Day and urged people, young and old, to grow trees for a greener future. Since then, many non-government organizations and educational institutions joined the campaign. In Ulaanbaatar alone, more than 1.74 million individuals and 71,000 companies and organizations (in duplicate) participated in public tree planting events and planted around 13.72 million trees and shrubs between 2010 and 2020, according to the Forestry Policy and Coordination Department of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
In recent years, National Tree Planting Day has been placing more emphasis on maintaining and pruning trees rather than planting more. The public has been supportive as more people recognize that trees need to be tended for to ensure newly planted sapling are able to mature. In particular, Ulaanbaatar is keen to become a green city by increasing green facilities, which help remove air-born pollutants such as dust and carbon dioxide, improve people’s health, mitigate energy spending, prevent flooding, and maintain the health of groundwater resources.
According to studies, the environment has deteriorated tremendously over the years, especially in Ulaanbaatar where more than 50 percent of the Mongolian population reside. Air and soil pollution have reached alarming levels despite growing efforts to tackle these issues. According to research, elm trees absorb 23 kg of dust, willows 38 kg, poplars 34 kg, and yellow acacia 0.2 kg of dust on average each year. Researchers estimated that a 50-year-old tree can emit 38 million MNT worth of oxygen during its lifetime and its air purifying effect amounts to approximately 75 million MNT in monetary terms.
Planting and growing trees is a civic obligation for Mongolian citizens. Article 31 of the Law on Forestry stipulates, “Provincial and capital city mayors shall organize annual public tree planting campaigns under which every citizen of 16 years of age and above must plant and take care of one tree, and every economic entity and organization must plant and take care of no less than five trees, or make a corresponding financial donation if unable to take part in the works.”
Whether it’s an obligation or not, a growing number of people are becoming interested in taking care of trees. According to A.Oyungerel, chief engineer at National Garden Park LLC, more than 100 organizations and groups established their own arboretum at the National Garden Park over the past decade. Currently, the park makes up 23 percent of green area in Ulaanbaatar, with 31 types of trees and plants covering approximately 183 hectares. The growth rate was reported to be at 98 percent. Environmental experts are encouraging people to start growing and taking care of trees and plants in their garden, yard and other surroundings as they are essential to our lives – not to mention that tree planting can be a relaxing and fun activity for families and friends.