Jeddah municipality will establish a first-of-its-kind educational village during the events of Tree Week from March 9 to 13 under the theme “Firewood collection threatens trees on the shores of Jeddah's Corniche.” The village contains educational awareness programs, such as, modern methods of irrigation and how to decorate gardens, which raise the level of public awareness of the importance of trees in people's lives and their positive effect on the environment. “Firewood collection and logging is a mistake with serious implications for the environment, and increasing green space in towns and cities and developing a clean environment free from pollution is important in our modern world,” said Bhjat Tal'at Hamouda, Director General of the general administration of parks, forestry, and municipal utilities in Jeddah. He added: “Jeddah is in need of about 15.73 million square meters of green space to reach the point where it has an adequate amount in comparison to its population.” According to Hamouda, the green space currently available in the city is less than 7.4 million square meters, and in order to meet global standards, Jeddah will have to provide an additional five square meters of green space for each of the city's residents. Hamouda asked the community as well as the public and private sectors to intensify their efforts to make Tree Week a success, as it is of the utmost importance in raising awareness of the importance of the expansion of green areas in the city. “Global statistics indicate that we need to plant 17 trees for each car in the city, as one car is equal to seventeen trees in offsetting the environmental damage resulting from car exhausts,” said Hamouda. “We are going to rehabilitate the Corniche and double the green space with the provision of various modes of service and safety,” he added. “The municipality uses the best techniques for the irrigation of gardens and trees. It has established 100 concrete water reservoirs, spread over 128 parks and 28 streets in order to increase the city's green space,” he said. Tree Week, through a variety of events and with participation from the public and private sector, will send a clear message to the community about the importance of maintaining trees and green areas in the city, said Hamouda.
