Thousands of mangrove and tree seedlings planted in coastal areas

The UNDP coastal resilience project team along with local communities, students and youth is conserving coastal areas by planting approximately 9,860 mangroves and 17,345 tree seedlings including jackfruit, orange, papaya, mahogany, citrus, sandalwood and coconuts across five sites

March 20, 2018

Youth participate in mangrove planting in Metinaro in December 2017

UNDP in close cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries through the National Directorate for Forestry, Coffee and Industrial Plants has planted thousands of seedlings from different species in Dili, Bobonaro, Covalima, Liquica, Manatuto and Manufahi municipalities.

The UNDP coastal resilience project team along with the community, students, youth is conserving coastal areas by planting approximately 9,860 mangroves in five sites. In addition to conserving mangroves, local communities, youth and school children were organized at each project site to plant 17,345 tree seedlings including jackfruit, orange, papaya, mahogany, citrus, sandalwood and coconuts.

The implementing NGOs in all target municipalities planted the seedlings on degraded hills, the coastline, community farms and home yards as a way of reducing erosion and land degradation, and to enhance food security.

The participation of the community in forest and environment protection was facilitated through application of a community based participatory approach, through which mangrove areas and wetlands were fenced across 12 sites. The community also upheld the local customary law ‘’Tara Bandu’’ to protect the overall environment including mangroves.

To raise awareness of this initiative among the community, youth and school children, several campaigns ‘’one child one mangrove’’, ‘’one child one fruit tree’’, ‘’youth coconut farming’’ were launched at the project sites to actively involve the large community in protecting and conserving mangroves.