Arbour Day tree planting at Oshakati aims to mitigate climate change

Official Arbour Day celebrations took place at Onawa at Oshakati on Friday.

Minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta at the event urged Namibians to plant trees to counteract the effects of habitat degradation, deforestation, and climate change.

The ministry has distributed some 750 seedlings to members of the public at Ongwediva and Oshakati as part of its goal to have 20 000 trees planted annually.

“It is our collective responsibility to address these challenges,” Shifeta said.

Arbour Day was also celebrated at Walvis Bay, where trees were planted at Flamingo Secondary School.

The event was hosted by the town’s municipality.

Head of parks and recreation Joseph Amushila commented on the importance of the event.

“We are not only honouring a tradition that dates back over a century, but we are also participating in a global movement to protect the earth’s most vital resource: our forests,” he said.

The event was also attended by Walvis Bay chief executive Victoria Kapenda and councillor Olivia Andrews, as well as Ralph Ruiters, the managing director of Manica Group Namibia.

Manica and global technology company Schlumberger donated the trees for the event.

Four tree species were selected for their hardiness and durability, namely the wild olive, Namibian myrtle, wild ebony and wild peach.

In Namibia, Arbour Day is celebrated on the second Friday of October annually.