GDARD fails to plant 13 947 trees to mitigate climate change risks

13 February 2024

While Gauteng residents are experiencing severe changes in the weather patterns, which pose a health and safety risk the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is not doing enough to mitigate the effects of climate change.

A total of 30 000 trees were meant to be planted during the third quarter of the 2023/2024 financial year. However, according to the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), only 16 053 were planted.

Tree planting is one of the simplest and most effective ways of combating climate change caused by greenhouse gases, and it is concerning that the department is unable to meet the most basic of targets in the fight against climate change.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will continue to advocate for the protection of the environment and will be submitting questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to determine exactly what the budget is for planting trees and why there were not sufficient funds to meet the target for the third quarter of 2023/2024.

Issued by Jade Miller, DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Agriculture and Rural Development, 13 February 2024