Mozambique: More than 2,000 trees to be planted along Maputo Ring Road

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: More than 2,000 trees to be planted along Maputo Ring Road

11:35 CAT | 13 Dec 2023

Image: MzNews

Standard Bank and Maputo Municipal Council on Saturday (09-12) launched the ‘Txuna Maputo com o Verde’ project, which calls for the planting of a total of 2,056 acacia, jacaranda, eucalyptus, casuarina and fan palm saplings along the 13,448-metre length of the Maputo Ring Road.

The initiative, which is part of Standard Bank’s social responsibility programme, has the support of Rede Viária de Moçambique (Revimo) and of the Rwandan embassy in Mozambique.

It covers the section between the Casa Jovem and Zimpeto roundabouts and as far as Marracuene, and aims to ensure the promotion and recovery of the city’s tree stock in order to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Speaking at the initiative launch ceremony, marked by the planting of the first 250 saplings, Alfredo Mucavela, Standard Bank’s Director of Marketing and Communication, recalled that the bank has, as part of its social responsibility activities, already planted more than 15,000 trees in partnership with municipalities.

“We worked with the municipality of Beira to replace trees after Cyclone Idai. We also did a lot of work with the municipality of Maputo, where we planted saplings on Marginal, Joaquim Chissano and Eduardo Mondlane avenues, among others, in addition to the work done with the municipality of Matola. We are very satisfied with the results of our intervention,” Mucavela stressed.

For his part, Silva Magaia, city councilor for Territorial Planning, Environment and Urbanization, said that the Maputo Ring Road was not only a means for the circulation of motor vehicles, but also a structure that drew citizens to live close to it, and walk along it.

“We hope that the seed we sowed today is a sign that it is possible to transform this road into a green park, particularly on its sides and, in this way, provide a healthy space for those who walk or exercise on it,” Magaia said.

For Constantino Gode, chairman of the Board of Directors of Revimo, the road’s concessionaire, the planting of trees along the road will improve the quality of life of residents, in addition to “raising awareness among all of us about the importance of adopting environmentally sustainable practices and behaviour”.

“Revimo reaffirms its commitment to continue working with the Maputo Municipal Council and all interested parties, in order to ensure the materialization of this initiative,” he said.

Also speaking, the charge d’affaires of the Rwandan embassy in Maputo, Francis Kagame, said that afforestation constitutes one of the solutions to environmental pollution and rising temperatures, among other problems affecting humanity.

The trees now being planted along the Maputo ring road would, according to him, help the conservation of soil and the protection of streets, as well as contributing to the beauty of the city of Maputo.

After planting two saplings, Saugina Castro, a student at the Pedagogical University, said: “I left everything this morning and came here to participate in this initiative. As we can see, walking along the side of the ring road, exposed to intense sun with no shade, is a punishment, which would not happen if there were trees along the sidewalk,” she pointed out.

“I believe that within the next five years, this suffering will end, as these trees will provide shade,” she concluded.

Source: MzNews