Fruit tree plantation to fight climate change stressed

Promotion of adequate fruit trees is very important for fighting climate change, ensuring nutritional demands coupled with food security, ecological balance and biodiversity in barind tract, speakers in different ceremonies said.

To maintain a solid ecological structure, every region of any country should have at least 25 percent of natural vegetation. But unfortunately only about two percent of forest land has been left in the barind.

As a result, we are facing the adverse effects of the changing global climate. To combat the natural disasters, tree plantation has to be increased further for a better barind.

Highlighting various significances of the fruit and fruit trees in terms of the present social and national aspects they put emphasis on transforming the tree plantation campaign into a social movement.

The made these observations while distributing fruit tree saplings among farmers in different areas of Tanore and Godagari upazilas in Rajshahi and Nachole uazila of Chapainawabgonj from Monday to Wednesday.

In the three-day campaign, Agriculture Sustainable and Socioeconomic Development Organisation (ASSEDO) distributed 2,400 free tree saplings among 600 female farmers in association with its project titled "Promoting Food Security and Livelihoods of Marginalised People of Barind Tract (PFLMB)" and Oxfam-Novib.

The initiative was taken to increase agricultural production and income of marginalised and vulnerable families of the Barind tract by adapting climate adaptive sustainable agricultural technologies, diversifying income generating activities and skill development.

Nachole Upazila Agriculture Officer Satyen Kumar, Badhair UP Chairman Kamruzzaman Hena, Pakri UP Chairman Anwarul Islam and ASSEDO Executive Director Agriculturist Rabiul Alam spoke on the occasion.

The speakers urged all to plant fruit saplings around homesteads or on any open space to help maintain environmental and ecological balance and save the region from natural catastrophes.

"Expansion of the region's forest area up to 25 percent of the total landscape through extensive tree plantations will protect it from possible alarming consequences of the ongoing climate changes," said Rabiul Alam.

Explaining various beneficial aspects of trees and homestead gardening in human life, he urged all to plant at least three tree saplings around their homesteads to help maintain environmental and ecological balance.