Damascus, Dec.21 (SANA) The Ministry of Agriculture launched the “Homeland Sapling” campaign along the Damascus International Airport Road in southern Syria, aiming to plant 5,900 saplings of various species across an area of 25 hectares.
The campaign was launched with the participation of Minister of Agriculture Amjad Badr, alongside popular and student groups and Arab organizations.
The campaign began from the Sixth Bridge to the Seventh, along the outskirts of al-Ghazlaniyah town in the Damascus countryside, extending toward the airport entrance. It will continue until the 30th of the current month and will be implemented in three phases.
According to those in charge, the first phase includes planting nine hectares with approximately 2,100 saplings, while the second and third phases each involve planting eight hectares with around 1,900 saplings. The campaign includes a variety of tree species, notably Aleppo pine, casuarina, tamarisk, acacia, cyanophylla, thuja, fan palm, false pepper tree, chinaberry, and cypress.
In a speech, Minister of Agriculture Amjad Badr stressed the importance of entrenching a culture of afforestation as a national and ethical value, given its vital role in environmental protection and the restoration of green cover in Syria. He noted that the country is currently experiencing a decline in green cover as a result of encroachments on large areas of land during the period of the former regime.
Minister Badr called for making tree planting and the restoration of green cover an integral part of societal culture, and for raising future generations to care for the environment. He emphasized the importance of every individual contributing to the protection and care of trees and the environment everywhere.
In a statement to a SANA correspondent, Minister Badr affirmed that the campaigns carried out by the ministry fall within a comprehensive national program aimed at restoring vegetation cover in Syria. With the start of the planting season, he said, a series of successive campaigns will be launched to reforest damaged areas, with future expansion planned to increase green spaces across various governorates, contributing to improved environmental conditions and enhanced sustainability.
In a similar statement, Rural Damascus Governor Amer al-Sheikh said that the Damascus countryside had been subjected to desertification and widespread illegal logging in recent years, which significantly affected the agricultural and environmental situation. He called on the community to act as a partner in these campaigns, noting that their success depends not only on planting but also on proper irrigation, care, and preventing practices that lead to further damage.
The ministry launched the “Our Countryside Is Green” campaign on December 15 in the Damascus countryside, aiming to plant more than 500,000 forest and fruit saplings bearing phrases reflecting the sacrifices made by the Syrian people over the years of the revolution. The campaign will continue for 45 days across three phases.
