The City of Johannesburg remains committed to sustainability and to creating a cleaner environment for residents and visitors alike. Over the years, the City has undertaken various tree-planting initiatives across different areas to expand Johannesburg’s green footprint and combat climate change.
In its latest effort to create a more sustainable environment, the City has launched an initiative to plant one million trees in the coming three years. Trees play a vital role in improving air quality by absorbing pollutant gases and filtering particles such as dust and smoke. They also help reduce the risk of natural disasters such as floods and play a key role in protecting biodiversity.
However, urban expansion has contributed to the loss of green spaces and the cutting down of trees in many parts of the city. To address this, the Johannesburg Zoo, in partnership with the Fourways Improvement District, planted 3,000 trees in just one hour on Tuesday, 11 November. This was shared on the City of Johannesburg's social media pages.
The indigenous Celtis Africana trees were planted between Fourways and Diepsloot as part of the Presidential One Million Trees Programme, which aims to improve air quality and create more livable urban spaces.
“We are planting a legacy of pride, partnership, and renewal,” said Executive Mayor Cllr Sello Dada Morero in a statement posted on Facebook.
The Mayor added that the initiative “goes beyond beautification - it’s about reclaiming and rejuvenating urban spaces with low-maintenance, water-wise landscapes.”
The City encouraged residents to participate in the campaign, calling on volunteers, schools, faith-based organisations, and businesses to join in this symbolic act of unity.
The Gauteng One Million Tree Planting Programme
The Green Development Foundation (GDF) is currently driving the Gauteng One Million Tree Planting Programme, an initiative appointed by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD).
According to the Foundation, 60% of the trees will be fruit trees and 40% will be indigenous trees. The trees will be distributed across all five regions of Gauteng: the City of Tshwane, City of Johannesburg, City of Ekurhuleni, Sedibeng, and the West Rand District Municipality.
Here’s to a greener Johannesburg!