Press Release

1.2 Million Trees Planted in Eastern Afghanistan

Jalalabad, Afghanistan  | Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Today, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in coordination with regional Departments of Agriculture, planted 1,248,000 tree saplings on 510 hectares of land in 13 districts of Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman and Nuristan provinces.

The saplings included eucalyptus, poplar, shisham, and lucina trees which were planted with technical assistance provided by local forestry experts. In total, the campaign involved 1,552 families throughout eastern Afghanistan. Each family planted between 500 and 2,000 trees on one jerib (.2 hectares) of land.

“This campaign to plant more than a million forest trees is exceptional for the region,” said the program’s perennial horticulture expert, Amanullah Atal.  “Working together with the government, we are proud to build a greener region that will have benefits for years to come, and that shows our commitment to a more productive and environmentally sustainable future for Afghanistan."

These forest trees will act as windbreak barriers to protect annual crops and prevent soil erosion where they are planted.  They will also contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gases, help decrease air pollution, increase rainfall in the region and result in more productive land. Field technicians and Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock extension officers will continue to provide assistance for every landowner to ensure that the trees receive proper care.

All of the planted trees were produced locally in 14 nurseries – including four women-owned nurseries – throughout the region.  The planting campaign covered Rodaat, Pachir Aw Agam, Momandara and Goshta districts of Nangarhar; Sirkani Marawara and Khas Kunar districts of Kunar; Alishang, Alingar, Mehtarlam and Qarghaee districts of Laghman; and Noorgarm and Kamdish districts of Nuristan provinces.

USAID’s alternative development program is a four-year initiative aimed at accelerating broad-based, sustainable economic development in eastern Afghanistan and reducing poppy cultivation by providing legal sources of revenue for those who are currently dependent on the opium industry.