In an inspiring move towards a greener future, the Kingdom of Bahrain has officially launched
the ‘Buthoor Al Bahrain’ initiative, a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Ministry of
Municipalities and Agriculture, UN-Habitat, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO), among other partners. This ambitious campaign was unveiled yesterday
at the Gulf Convention Center, coinciding with World Urban October and in alignment with
World Habitat Day on October 7th.
The initiative aims to raise awareness about the critical importance of tree planting and the vital
role of vegetation in environmental protection and the development of sustainable urban
communities. With a national afforestation target of doubling the number of trees in Bahrain by
2035, the Kingdom is setting its sights on a remarkable goal of planting 3.6 million trees.
A Call to Action for All
‘Buthoor Al Bahrain’ extends its reach to the entire community, including expatriates, inviting
them to join the national initiative under the guidance of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and
HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Eng. Wael bin Nasser Al
Mubarak, Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, expressed enthusiasm, stating, “This
initiative opens a window to encourage the community to engage with the national plan. Over
350,000 trees have been planted in the past two years, paving the way to double the number of
trees in the Kingdom by 2035.”
While reducing carbon emissions is one of the benefits of this initiative, the overarching
objective is to improve the quality of life through a healthier ecosystem, providing much-needed
cooling and shade in urban areas. Fernanda Maria Lonardoni, Head of Country Programme at
UN-Habitat, described the initiative as “a very ambitious target for the Kingdom of Bahrain to
grow more than 100,000 plants a year.” She confidently added, “Bahrain will achieve the
expected results by 2035, and by 2050, it will be a completely different island. The Kingdom will
be much greener than it is now.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
During the event, Khaled El Mekwad, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain,
emphasized the importance of involving Bahraini youth in this national campaign. He urged
young people to take an active role, stating, “To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of
the Kingdom, youth contribution is crucial. I invite youngsters to join the national campaign-
this is your future.”National Initiative for Agricultural Development(NIDA) hopes that this
initiative will provide an additional platform for raising awareness. Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al
Khalifa, Secretary General, NIDA said “Seed by Seed, towards sustainable communities,
enhances efforts to spread the culture of afforestation in society.”