Indonesian women to plant 10 million trees to help overcome climate change

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Seven woman organizations will plant an estimated 10 million trees throughout Indonesia starting on December 1, 2007, to help deal with climate change.

The planting of 10 million trees was also expected to be put in the book of records, Dewi Motik, chairman of the tree planting organizing committee, told the press at the Presidential office here on Tuesday after meeting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"There will be 10 million trees, and the event will be the first ever," Dewi Motik said.

President Yudhoyono on November 28, 2007 was expected to officially launch the tree planting activities which would be conducted simultaneously throughout Indonesia starting on December 1, 2007, at 8.00 am Western Indonesian Time (WIB), or 9.00 am Central Indonesian Time (WITA), or 10.00 am Eastern Indonesian Time (WIT), she said.

Most of the trees to be planted would be fruit-bearing trees to give benefits to local people living surrounding the areas where the trees would be planted, the businesswoman said.

The seven organizations to get involved in the tree planting activities would be the Solidarity of the United Indonesian Cabinet Ministers` Wives (Sikib), Kowani, Dharma Pertiwi, Dharma Wanita Persatuan, the Woman Alliance for Sustainable Development, The Family Welfare Movement (PKK), Bhayangkari and the organizing committee of the Mothers` Day 2007.

Meanwhile, First Lady Mrs. Ani Yudhoyono said that tree planting was a hobby of women.

"Women are fond of planting, none of them cut trees," she said.

In connection with the event, a national conference of Indonesian women to anticipate effects of climate change and global warming, will be organized in Jakarta, from November 26 to 28, 2007.

Erna Witoelar of the conference`s organizing committee said that around 700 women from all over Indonesia would take part in the conference which will discuss efforts to solve the problem of climate change.|

The former minister hoped that the 10 million tree planting activities could become a start up of larger scale reforestation programs to rehabilitate the country`s forests.

"Indonesia needs to plant around two billion trees in the next five years. So, 10 million trees that we will plant are a very small number. We hope to encourage the people to do similar activities," Erna Witoelas said.