At a time when the government of Oman has been steadfastly working towards the goal of planting 10 million trees, some individuals are wantonly felling trees in their premises for the sake of convenience.
"There used to be a tree standing high and tall giving shade to the neighbourhoods, children used to play underneath and was home for birds, but today, only the stump of the tree is visible. The owner said the reason was the noise of the birds and falling leaves," a resident of Darsait in Ruwi told the Observer.
Similar disappearances have been reported from different localities of Muscat. While there are laws governing the trees standing in public areas which belong to Muscat Municipality, there are hardly any rules governing trees in private plots.
"Climate change is threatening the environment and planting more trees can reduce heat stress," said a senior official.
Both private and public sectors of Oman have several programmes for the protection of the environment and preserving trees in the public areas. Recently, thousands of students from public schools took their first lessons of converting their schools into an environment-friendly learning centre. The winners of the writing marathon were honoured by HH Sayyid Dr Kamil bin Fahd bin Mahmood al Said, Secretary-General of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, at the National Museum recently.
The "Green Schools" an initiative, launched by be’ah Academy of the Omani Environmental Services Holding Company, helps children to participate in activities and projects aimed at solving environmental issues.
In October last year, the Oman Arab Bank (OAB) announced its 'Roots of Oman' campaign, which aims to plant 5,000 trees across Oman by the end of the year, coinciding with the bank's 50th anniversary.
Above all, the Environment Authority (EA) has, in a significant move towards environmental sustainability, signed a cooperation agreement with Oman Energy Association (OPAL) to implement an initiative called Green Alliance.
Green Alliance is aligned with Oman Vision 2040 and supports the country’s long-term goals of achieving zero carbon neutrality by 2050. It underscores the optimal utilisation of natural resources, enhances the economic value of environmental resources and promotes community awareness on environmental sustainability.
“I think we need a strong law to protect trees owned by individuals, given its contribution to the environment, to be declared public property. Or at least, a rule that prevents cutting trees is subject to the approval from Muscat Municipality,” said Hammam al Badi, a journalist.
Despite all these efforts, many trees seen in front of houses are disappearing. Environment lovers say those who own the trees may have many reasons to cut it down.
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