Lattakia, Dec. 25 (SANA) A central ceremony marking the 74th National Tree Day was held on Thursday at the Bayt Halibiya forest site in the Lattakia countryside, as part of a reforestation campaign implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture to compensate for damage to the vegetation cover caused by wildfires in the province.
The event was held under the slogan “Our forests are an epic written by the sacrifices of our free people,” with the participation of agriculture directorates, emergency and disaster management bodies, volunteer teams and community groups.
Agriculture Minister Amjad Badr said the choice of Bayt Halibiya was due to the extensive damage the area sustained in recent years, particularly in 2023. He explained that some sections required time for natural regeneration, while other plant species remained present at limited levels compared with the overall area. He noted that the site is included in the current season’s reforestation plan.
Minister Badr told SANA that the campaign marks the start of expanding similar reforestation projects under the ministry’s plan to rehabilitate damaged forests and restore vegetation cover.
Lattakia Governor Mohammad Othman said the National Tree Day celebration this year coincides with a broader effort to replant areas affected by fires, noting that the province lost more than 20,000 hectares of green spaces during last summer’s wildfires, requiring sustained work to revive forests and improve mountain landscapes.
For his part, Abdel-Kafi Kiyal, director of the Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate in Lattakia, said the directorate’s participation comes as part of efforts to address the impacts of fires and compensate for losses to forested areas, stressing the importance of coordinated action among all stakeholders to ensure the success of such initiatives.
The activity is part of a series of tree-planting campaigns being carried out in Lattakia province to enhance vegetation cover, rehabilitate damaged sites and contribute to environmental protection and sustainability.
