Aruba Reforestation Project Launch
ORANJESTAD - Recently, the official launch of the Aruba Reforestation Project, a government initiative to plant 100 thousand trees around the island in the next four years, took place.
Francielle Lacle from the Ministry of Nature and Environment stated during the launch ceremony, "We are at the right time to take action. The goal is ambitious, but we believe that, together with our community and stakeholders, we can achieve it."
The trees will be planted in urban and rural areas, including forests, neighborhoods, schools, and public spaces.
The benefits are many:
- For the urban area, more shade and cooler temperatures:
- For the marine environment, less sedimentation on our corals.
- For biodiversity, an increase in species variety and protection of endemic and threatened plants.
The initiative is part of Aruba's 2024–2030 national biodiversity strategy, known as the National Biodiversity and Strategic Action Plan (NBSAP). Lacle emphasized that the species of trees will include fruit, endemic, and endangered trees.
The Ministry of Nature and Environment is implementing this project with 27 local organizations, including not only environmental entities such as Ban Lanta y Planta, Syntropic Farming, Ecoliving, and the Aruba Conservation Foundation, but also businesses, schools, tourism, and the private sector. "We are not doing the work alone. We want to empower and unite the efforts that are already being taken," Lacle emphasized.
As a next step, a steering group will be formed to serve as a guidance group and a dynamic sounding board, where organizations can give input on relevant issues, such as water management. "This is a participatory process, a movement to reach a greener, fresher, and stronger Aruba," Lacle concluded.