Plantation key to stimulate economy

Say speakers at CRB program

Chattogram Bureau: Terming plantation as the key to stimulating economic growth, speakers at CRB programme called upon all to plant saplings in the interest of the country’s economy. It can stimulate the economic development of countries that suffer from erosion, desertification and food shortages. Trees create their own added value: land that can make money becomes more valuable and can therefore serve as collateral for loans. The trees give small farmers access to the capital market and encourage them to invest in their companies, they said.
Trees can increase the economic revenue for retail shops, prevent unnecessary costs of road maintenance, and increase property values, they added.
Terming trees as business stimulus, they said, trees can be a stimulus to economic development, attracting new business and tourism. Treed commercial retail areas are more attractive to shoppers, apartments rent more quickly, tenants stay longer, and space in a wooded setting is more valuable to sell or rent. They observed this while addressing a plantation programme in CRB area of the port city.
Trees reduce energy costs by shading buildings and reducing the need for air conditioning in summer; increase property values – it is estimated that houses in tree-lined streets are valued 30% higher than those without trees, they observed. “Research suggests that green cities have lower health costs due to healthier residents. Trees also prolong the life council assets and infrastructure such as roads or footpaths by the shade they provide”.
With a slogan ‘My trees with my care’, Durbar Tarunno, a social and voluntary organization, planted over 100 saplings in the programme under the project titled ‘Amra Mali’. Chaired by Muhammad Abu Abid, Founder of Durbar Tarunno, Helal Akbor Chowdhury Babor, politician and social worker, attended the event as the chief guest on Tuesday afternoon.
In his speech, Babor said there should be plants in 25% area of a country. But regrettably only 7.7% area of Bangladesh is covered with trees.

Calling upon all to plant saplings of different trees across the country, he said, we all should plant at least two saplings every year and take its proper care in the interest of environment and economic development.
Addressing on the occasion, Muhammad Abu Abid said, though initiative is taken to plant saplings in the country, the matter of its proper care in most cases remained neglected. The project ‘Amra Mali’ has been taken up to raise awareness about this matter.
Rabiul Hasan, Ridoy Hossain Mallik, Kamrul Islam, HM Alauddin, Emdadul Haque Maruf and other central and local leaders of the organization were present.