Sustainability and the City - Center for Urban Green Spaces

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Greening Malaysian citiesIn step with the timesContributions of corporate organizations in greening the earthDepartment in January 1, 1996was to emphasize ‘Landscaping theNation’ initiative, following which,many nationwide tree plantingcampaigns were launched, aimingin making Malaysia a “GardenNation”. This campaign was carriedout with original targets of plantingthree million trees by the year 2000and 20 million trees by the 2020.Subsequently, in commemoratingEarth Day on April 2010, theMinistry of Natural Resource andEnvironment, Malaysia announcedthe nationwide campaign of planting26 million trees by the year 2014 tosymbolize the number of Malaysianpopulation at that time. Duringthe Urban Forestry Conference2012, organised by Forest ResearchInstitute Malaysia (FRIM) inKuching, Sarawak, the Ministry wasproud to announce that Malaysia hasachieved and further exceeded thetarget with 28 million trees planted.With the enhancement of theenvironment through urban forestryactivities such as urban greening andtree planting, Malaysian cities andurban areas would be a healthier andmore comfortable place to live in.However, tree planting will only befruitful if effective management iscarried out. Urban tree managementshould include individual plantedtrees as well as groups of treesplanted in bigger areas.There are various steps that need tobe taken by all local authorities toeffectively manage urban trees, oneof which is to adopt arboriculturalKuala Lumpur maintains its greeneries for a balanced developmentpractices. The emergence of the fieldof arboriculture is an important steptowards best practices in urban treemanagement in Malaysia. The rolesand responsibilities of arborists, theprofessionals involved in the careof urban trees are becoming moresignificant and an ArboricultureCertification Program was initiatedin May 2005.With the help from the Governmentof Denmark through a TwinningProject on Urban Forestry, thecertification program was embarkedby FRIM, Kuala Lumpur City Halland Universiti Putra Malaysia. TheArborist Certification Programis undertaken by the MalaysianSociety of Arboriculture (MSA),and conducted in affiliation andendorsement from the InternationalSociety of Arboriculture (ISA).The most explosive in term of urbangrowth, Asia will have the world’slargest urban population livingin cities. Thus, establishing andmanaging urban forests will not onlycontribute towards the conservationof natural resources but alsoprovide social benefits to the urbanpopulation.•10 urbanature
in personG.N. SinhaEnhancing green cover of DelhiKeeping the capital greenWith a cherished legacy left by the Britishin the form of its Lutyen’s Zone, Delhi hasworked hard to maintain its stature asone of the greenest capitals of the world.This has not been easy, given the fact thatDelhi has seen an exponential growth interms of people as well as vehicles thatnow Delhi holds.Department of Forests and Wildlife, Govt.of NCT Delhi, has been at the forefront ofDelhi’s fight for its green character.Mr. G N Sinha IFS, the man at the helm ofDepartment of Forests and Wildlife, Govt.of NCT Delhi spoke to urbaNature on thechallenges of conserving Delhi’s greeneryand the battle for conserving Delhi’snatural heritage.URBAN nATURE (UBN) : Delhi has been hailed as one of thegreenest cities in India. What made it possible in view ofpressures of urbanization and increasing density?G.N. SINHA (GNS) : Delhi is one of the greenest city capitalsin the world. This has been possible due to efforts ofDelhi Govt. by undertaking massive plantation drivefrom 2001 onwards by the department of Forests &Wildlife and by 20 greening agencies. From 2009-10onwards, forest department and other greening agencieshave taken plantation of more than 10 lakh saplingsand large number of saplings were also distributed tothe members of public. These efforts of various organsof the Govt. of Delhi have borne fruit. As a result forestand green cover in Delhi has increased from 5.93% ofgeographical area in 1999 to 19.97% of geographicalarea (296.20sq km) as per the report of FSI in 2011.UBN : What is the legal framework, in brief, that is in placeto protect/enhance green cover? What are the loopholes, ifany, that in your view still need to be plugged?GNS : All the Environment and Forests related laws inthe country are generally applicable to Delhi. But,there are three principal acts which have played keyrole in protection of forest and green cover in Delhi.G.N. Sinha IFSis Additional Principal Chief Conservator Forest And Head, Forests And Wildlife Department, Govt. of NCTDelhi, (Email: gnsinhauk@yahoo.co.uk)July 201311
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