Bangui- Central African Republic’s President, Professor Faustin Archange Touadera has called for rapid action against climate change and the protection and sustainability of the environment, noting that to curb desertification and the degradation of nature, it is important to plant trees.
Professor Touadera gave the charge Saturday, at the celebration of National Tree Day which took place on the hill of Gbazoubangui in the commune of the 7th arrondissement of Bangui.
Speaking further, the President retraced the genesis of the National Tree Day which was established by law 84-087 following the observation of the degradation of nature and deforestation.
“The survival of the human species is threatened by a frantic race of nations for the exploitation of natural resources in order to meet the imperatives of socio-economic development. This overexploitation of natural resources has led to a great imbalance on earth to the point that all of humanity is now faced with facts.
“As you know, the forest of the Central African Republic is part of the forest massif of the Congo Basin, which has the privilege of sheltering an exceptional richness in biodiversity. However, we must still not lose sight of the fact that this wealth, like that of other tropical countries, is confronted with the problems of deforestation and degradation of all kinds.
“It is therefore for this reason that our country celebrates each year the National Tree Day which, like other natural resources, is constantly exposed to various harmful and destructive activities linked to population pressure or natural disasters.
“The celebration of this day has grown over time to become one of the main means of communication to stimulate the environmental awareness of our populations and to encourage national political action. It also allows these populations to take an interest in the multiple and complex problems linked to the degradation of the environment and to give the communities the possibility of becoming actors of sustainable development, through a change in behavior.
“This day regularly raises the essential questions of the protection of the Forest-Environment sector and its consequences on the lives of populations, the survival of our planet and wants to make populations relevant actors in sustainable development.” President Touadera added.
He appealed to the local populations to protect the trees planted that day. The special reserve of Gbazoubangui has been and still is the object of desire of certain compatriots who seek to illegally occupy this space which represents the ecological lung of the city of Bangui.
He further instructed the Ministers of Waters, Forests, Hunting and Fisheries as well as Finance and Budget to prepare the planting of 3 million trees each year.
This year’s theme: Tree, means of fighting against climate change which witnessed the attendance of the country’s number one citizen, Professor Faustin Archange TOUADERA, the ceremony saw the participation of the President of the National Assembly Mr. Simplice Mathieu SARANDJI, the Prime Minister Head of Government Mr. Felix MOLOUA as well as several guests and the population of the locality.
Established in 1984, National Tree Day takes place every year on August 20 in a locality chosen by the authorities.