Arbour Day commemorated
October 14th is National Arbour Day in Namibia, with this year’s theme being Forests and Sustainable Production and Consumption.For this year’s event, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) joined forces with residents from all 14 regions over the weekend to mark the day. With the support of various entities from both the private and public sectors, the MEFT was able to distribute 4 000 seedlings to public institutions such as schools and local authorities.
Namibia is one of the few countries that addresses the conservation and protection of natural resources. Given that Namibia has around 300 sunny days a year with a short rainy season lasting from September to November and again from February to April, planting trees in October is ideal.
While the first Arbour Day was celebrated in Namibia in 1991, it was only in the 2000s that the number of trees planted increased. The celebration is marked by the choosing of a national tree with its saplings being planted across the country.