“The initiative came from the Vice Minister of Coordination and Government Management, Gustavo Torrico, who initially proposed starting with a certain number of trees to create a small forest in the Alteña area,” said Gabriela Arauco, Director of Public Administration in this deputy ministry assigned to the portfolio of the presidency.
In an interview with Prensa Latina, Arauco reported that support from other ministries had, however, led to progress towards a more comprehensive and ambitious project.
“It will be the first forest of five hectares and five thousand seedlings, and it will be not only the planting phase, but also the commitment to ensure that these trees reach the required size and provide the expected result: the improvement of the microclimate ecosystem and increase the water table and forest cover in this area,” he said.
The director told this news outlet that the most important thing is that Pulmones Verdes will provide the community with access to clean air.
For his part, Torrico assured that the “ambitious Green Lungs National Forestation Program aims to stimulate the so-called flying rivers”.
He described that they are huge streams of water from the air that travel from the Amazon to the peaks in the form of steam, causing rain and snowfall, which is why they are crucial to agricultural production and the lives of millions of people.
To promote this plan, he explained, the national government will promote the creation of the so-called Green Lungs Volunteer Army, made up of four thousand young people from 26 schools in the city of El Alto.
In coordination with the Vice Ministry, they receive training on soil preparation tasks, irrigation, groundwater storage and other techniques useful for the microclimate.
After this first phase, they will plant five thousand trees of the Kewiña and Kiswara species on more than five hectares of land at four thousand 748 meters above sea level in the indigenous community originally from Alto Milluni, District 13 of El Alto, in the region. from Chacaltaya, Andes Mountains.
“The aim of this project is to create thousands of forests throughout the national territory and to be a model for the international community in search of harmony with Mother Earth,” said Torrico, who called not to politicize this idea.
“We want it to be replicated across the country. We need thousands of small forests to change the climate and save the future, the water we need and everyone who wants to join in,” he explained.
He added that the participation of public and private companies such as Banco Unión, the National Agency for Hydrocarbons, is proof of this; among others, the Development Service of Productive Public Enterprises, the Bolivia Cement Company, Laboratorios Bagó and the non-governmental organization World Vision.
For his part, Environment Minister Rubén Méndez emphasized that creating a healthier living environment is the task of the entire population; For this reason, he urged people to join the various initiatives to protect the environment.
Pulmones Verdes promotes efforts to curb global warming, the greenhouse effect, the reduction of permafrost, water loss and the climate crisis, and for this the state and society of Bolivia receives the support of the youth of El Alto, the public business community and private.
rgh/jpm