Batam (ANTARA) – Governor of Riau Islands Ansar Ahmad invited all elements of society to follow in the footsteps of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and plant more trees in an effort to deal with the global warming crisis.He made the statement while participating in a mangrove-planting activity on Setokok Island, Batam City, on Sunday, in commemoration of the 78th anniversary of the Independence Day of Indonesia. “President Jokowi has initiated mangrove plantings here in such a small place. However, it is not a matter of place. We should take the president’s action as an inspiration for us to plant trees for the sake of preserving our beloved earth,” he remarked in a statement received in Batam on Sunday. The president’s initiative to plant mangrove trees on Setokok Island has led local residents to refer to the planting area as the President’s Mangrove Zone. “Today, we planted mangroves in the name of humanity. The trees we planted will produce oxygen that will sustain all of our lives. On this occasion, I would like to invite everyone to raise the spirit to plant more trees to expand green areas,” Ahmad pointed out. The governor also appealed to communities to maintain and nurture existing plants by caring for the environment and refraining from committing destructive acts and littering. He noted that everyone is sure to be pleased by a beautiful, green, and refreshing environment, but not everyone has the same awareness to actively preserve and maintain it. Instead, some people tend to be ignorant, litter, and damage the environment, he added. “Hence, from now on, let us care for nature. Let us enjoy and love nature while actively maintaining and preserving our surrounding environment,” he noted.

Source: Antara News Agency