Since 1985, the population of Benin has participated in the “National Tree Day” (Journée nationale de l’arbre – JNA, in French), an annual celebration that cherishes nature and puts trees and their role in addressing climate change in the spotlight. In 2024, to celebrate JNA’s 40th edition, the Government of Benin, through the Ministry of the Quality of Life and Transport in charge of Sustainable Development and with the support of UN CC:Learn and the NDC Partnership through a project dedicated to broadly communicate and raise awareness on climate change and the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), invited its population to value the role of trees once again.
The borough of Koudou in the commune of Lokossa, in the southwest of the country, was the main celebratory stage this year. Several high-level government officials, both local and national, were present at the city to take part in an event that culminated in the plantation of 1,500 native species of trees, which were carefully picked per their characteristics and with the support of the members of the Coopérative d’Aménagement Rural (CAR) de Koudo and the Fondation TOZO de Lokossa, who will be the main beneficiaries.
The saplings protected and lined-up, at the JNA in Lokossa, Benin.
To mobilize the community, particularly the youth, the NGO CASAD was charged with selecting 80 youth ambassadors from the region. Before the JNA, these 80 ambassadors learned about the role of plants, particularly the saplings that were identified to be planted at the celebration: teak, eucalyptus, mango, orange, cola, coconut, and avocado.
The CASAD team, in close collaboration with the Lokossa communal forestry session team, trained the young ambassadors on the proper way to plant a tree, covering fundamental aspects such as the monitoring and maintenance techniques needed to ensure successful plant growth. With this new knowledge, they were entrusted with planting saplings during the JNA. Moreover, during six months, these 80 young people will be responsible for the 1,500 plants, making sure they are well taken care of.
The JNA that took place in Koudou, in Lokossa, had a festive ambiance that engaged a broad number of people, regardless of their age. From government officials to local residents, many people bought into the idea of planting trees. Given the number of trees, the efforts continued on 2nd and 3rd June, extending what was supposed to be a one-day celebration into a three-day one.
The Coordinator of the communication project and follow-up of the NDC at the JNA 2024.
The tree-planting campaign organized in Lokossa to mark National Tree Day 2024 was a success, demonstrating the collective commitment of the local community, authorities, and partner organizations to environmental protection. The 1500 trees planted represent a concrete contribution to the fight against climate change.
Watch interviews with officials at the JNA (in french):