DILI, 12 january 2024 (TATOLI) – As part of the celebration of National Sandalwood and Forests Day under the theme “Planting Trees for a Better Future”, which took place in the village of Aiteas, in Manatuto, the Director of the Permaculture Organization in East Timor (PERMATIL), Ego Lemos, called on the government to invest in the water conservation to ensure the sustainability of the country’s biodiversity.
“Timor-Leste is a mountainous country, so we shouldn’t just focus on planting trees, but we should also think about how to conserve water. That’s why I recommend that the relevant ministries must invest in water conservation,” he said in Manatuto.
Lemos praised the government’s initiative in planting trees, adding PERMATIL is willing to cooperate with the government in water conservation to ensure the sustainability of the trees.
Hugo Trindade, coordinator of the Quinta Portugal Agroforestry Center in the municipality of Aileu, said that good water management is fundamental to giving life to various plants.
“It is essential to preserve and diversify natural resources in a sustainable way in order to generate income for the country,” he said.
Trindade also said that the Quinta Portugal Agroforestry Center and the German government’s GIZ have collaborated and have already distributed more than 250,000 trees to the beneficiaries of the Ai Ba Futuru Project, which is taking place in the municipalities of Manatuto, Baucau, Viqueque and Lautém.
The government has declared january 13 as National Sandalwood and Forests Day, with the aim of highlighting the importance of forests in maintaining a healthy environment, conserving the diversity of animals and plants and contributing to economic development.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
