The tree planting movement would be intensified in every district by 2013, the minister said here Friday.
"Thank God, public awareness about the need to plant trees has grown. A number of regions have tree planting programs. Hopefully, the movement will reach the district level by 2013," the minister said when visiting a One Million Seedling Garden belonging to Budiasi Foundation at Sentul, Bogor.
The minister said if the movement continued, within 10 years the Indonesian people will be fully aware of the importance of making the country green.
"Korea needed 30 years to promote public awareness about greening the country. We now hope that with intensified movement and support from all parties, we have been preparing seedlings for 10 years and then we can promote the public awareness about the importance of tree planting," he said.
The forestry ministry has established cooperation with the National Defense Forces (TNI) in tree seedlings and tree planting.
The role of the private sector is also expected to increase in the tree planting movement, the minister said.
Indonesia has the third largest tropical rain forest area in the world after Brazil and Congo. The country`s forests are habitats to various flora and fauna species including rare ones such as orangutans, komodo dragons and Sumatran tigers.
However, the country`s forest area have been shrinking rapidly due to rampant illegal logging activities and forest fires which sometimes were started on purpose by farmers clearing areas for plantations.
Since the Yudhoyono administration has launched nation-wide tree planting movements in 2007, more than 280 million trees have been planted.(*)
(f001/HAJM)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
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