There is no alternative to trees for keeping the environment in balance, as recent temperatures have reminded us. Yet we cut trees down freely on the pretext of building. The rush to fell trees in towns and villages has forced us to think. Cropland is shrinking and temperatures are rising, and as many trees as are being cut are not being planted.

It is said that a country needs at least 25 per cent of its land under forest, and Bangladesh has much less. Without enough forest, global warming keeps increasing, land is turning to desert and carbon dioxide levels have risen. With fewer trees, the weather has also changed: excessive heat in summer, and sometimes excessive cold or heat in winter. Agricultural production has also fallen. So there is no alternative to planting trees to save the environment and nature.

Many people are at their village homes for the Eid ul-Adha holidays. Some have started building work or are clearing around their homes. While doing so, do not cut trees. Instead, plant more trees around homes, along roads, at educational institutions and on abandoned land. If an old tree must be cut to build a house, plant at least ten trees in its place.

Research has shown that a tree that lives for 50 years benefits us in many ways. It saves Tk 10 lakh by protecting the environment from air pollution, provides life-saving oxygen worth Tk 5 lakh, saves Tk 5 lakh by creating conditions for rain, saves Tk 5 lakh by preventing soil erosion and improving fertility, saves Tk 5 lakh by giving food and shelter to creatures living in it, saves Tk 5 lakh by supplying furniture, firewood and fruit, and saves Tk 40,000 by providing food for animals. The financial value of one tree thus comes to Tk 35 lakh 40 thousand.

So we must protect our environment ourselves, and to keep it in balance we have to come forward. Young people in villages can also take up tree-planting programmes together. Wherever they see empty land in the village, they can plant trees with the owner's permission. It is better not to worry about who will enjoy the fruit or other benefits. Fruit, timber and medicinal trees can be planted depending on the place.

We ourselves can make our environment safe; all it takes is goodwill. As trees protect us, we should protect trees too, since the trees around our homes shield them from storms. So we must care for trees, and everyone should come forward for this good work. Only then can we build a beautiful, clean environment. Protecting the environment should be our mission.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.