5,000 trees to be planted on Ablakovina in Stari Grad

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - An Agreement on cooperation was signed today in the municipality of Stari Grad between the Municipality of Stari Grad Sarajevo, the Humanitarian Organization Islamic Relief Worldwide and the Cantonal Public Enterprise for the management of state forests "Sarajevo-šume" on afforestation of 12,000 square meters of space at the Ablakovina site. The KJKP Vodovod i kanalizacija reservoir is located in that area.

It involves planting 5,000 seedlings of ash, acacia, fir, and maple, and according to the project, the seedlings will be planted in the shape of an amphitheater.

Velija Semir Kukuruzović from HO Islamic Relief said that one tree produces oxygen for five people.

- With these 5,000 trees, oxygen will be produced for 25,000 people, which will contribute to the citizens of Sarajevo and Stari Grad breathing higher quality air.

Kukuruzović pointed out that the humanitarian organization is celebrating 27 years of existence, and for its 25th anniversary, they planted 25 trees in the Betanija area.

Due to administrative barriers, the project has been slowed down, and afforestation will be carried out in the spring.

The Mayor of Stari Grad municipality, Ibrahim Hadžibajrić, stated that there are evident problems with landslides, both due to excessive construction and excessive logging. He emphasized that such actions are rare and that it is necessary to revitalize areas in Sarajevo.

- We are trying to bring these areas back to their former state in order to prevent the urbanicide that is happening in Sarajevo Canton with excessive construction, and no one is responsible for it. Huge funds will have to be invested in the rehabilitation of the reservoir where landslides have occurred. When we start afforestation and regulating these areas in that way, we encounter many administrative obstacles – said Hadžibajrić.

Nermin Demirović, director of Sarajevo-šume, said that this is about the environmental improvement of the Ablakovina site.

- The work will begin in the spring of this year, and I hope this will be a good indicator of how Sarajevo-šume, as well as the local community and organizations, treat forests, and that it is not just about using this natural resource for economic purposes, but that it also has ecological and sociological purposes – announced the director of this company, Nermin Demirović.

It was announced that in the spring, another major project will be presented, which continues the protection and improvement of nature and the environment, while also providing citizens with numerous interesting facilities near the city. Namely, in May, the Friendship Forest Park on Grdonj will officially start operating. The project is being realized by the Forests of the Republic of Turkey and KJP "Sarajevo-šume", and the Municipality of Stari Grad previously issued the necessary urban planning and construction permits and financed the purchase of water tanks installed at this location. The first Friendship Forest Park in Bosnia and Herzegovina will cover an area of six hectares.