eThekwini ranked fifth in the world for greening efforts

THE sterling work the City is doing to promote sustainable greening projects has been acknowledged with eThekwini Municipality being ranked fifth in the world for the vast number of trees being grown in the City as well as its sustainable greening initiatives.

This was recently revealed following research that was conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Senseable Lab in partnership with the World Economic Forum. The results can be viewed on ‘Treepedia’, a site with interactive maps that show the density of greenery in major cities around the world.

eThekwini’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit District Manager Preggie Moodley said the City was proud of this achievement.

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“The recognition of the City’s greening initiatives has been a long time coming. We have also been awarded the Arbor City Award for 2013 and 2014 respectively,” he said.

Moodley said eThekwini was both an urban and rural environment and a green strategy was required to connect all the necessary natural and cultural components into a universal plan. He said a set of programmes have been developed to ensure a healthy and holistically equitable future for all citizens of the City.

Moodley said the City’s focus has shifted to the planting of indigenous trees compared to previously planting exotic trees.

“The Parks Department also runs a value-based schools education outreach programme with the primary aim of cultivating a sense of active citizenship through a love of nature which is in alignment with the City’s Integrated Development Plan,” he said.

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