As part of World Tree Day, which falls on March 21, Standard Bank and the Maputo City Council planted around 400 casuarinas on the stretch between Chiango and Zimpeto, on the Maputo ring road in the country's capital.

This joint initiative aims to ensure the promotion and recovery of Maputo's tree park in order to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Addressed during the planting, Standard Bank's Marketing and Communications Director, Alfredo Mucavela, said that the bank could not remain uninvolved in this event, since planting trees is the main activity of its sustainability pillar, as part of its social responsibility.

"Today we decided to plant around 400 casuarina trees along Maputo's ring road. This is another contribution in the context of the bank's objectives to combat climate change. In recent years, we have witnessed irregular rainfall and storms, which have devastated communities and society in general as a result of these phenomena," he emphasized.

This, he added, is yet another contribution by the bank to preserving the environment and the beauty of the city, through which around 1,500 trees have already been planted along Maputo's ring road.

For Miriam Stela Novela, deputy director of Environment and Health at the Maputo City Council, the planting of trees in Maputo's ring road is intended to send a message to residents about the need to conserve trees.

Through a partnership with Standard Bank, the Maputo City Council has already planted approximately 1,500 trees of various species along this road: "The aim is to cover the entire area of the Greater Maputo ring road, specifically the KaMavota municipal district. It's an initiative of great impact, which is helping to raise awareness among residents about environmental conservation," he said.

Nelson Basílio, who lives in Chiango, is one of the direct beneficiaries of this initiative. After taking part in the planting, he considered the initiative to be extremely important: "For those of us who work in the Chiango area, these trees will protect us from the intense sun, especially at public transport stops where we are exposed for several hours on end waiting for transport," he said.

It should be noted that Standard Bank's environmental tree-planting project also included schools in various parts of the country, including streets in the country's capital. In fact, the beautiful landscapes of Avenida Eduardo Mondlane and Avenida Joaquim Chissano, in Maputo, have begun to take shape.

Impressed by the new look of Joaquim Chissano Avenue, Vasco Massinga commented: "Standard Bank and the City Council are to be congratulated for planting trees in the city, which as well as providing beauty, produce oxygen, serve as raw materials and also contribute to the fight against climate change".

Approached by Eduardo Mondlane Avenue, environmental journalist Precidónio Silvério also expressed his satisfaction with the tree planting project. With regard to World Tree Day, he said that every day should be dedicated to trees.

"They live with us, they are part of nature. They are important because they guarantee our survival through the process of photosynthesis. Regarding the partnership between the Bank and the City Council, I think it should continue. I witnessed the planting of trees on Eduardo Mondlane Avenue. It was this that awakened in me a love of biodiversity. This initiative should not be restricted to just two players. We should all have the responsibility to plant a tree in a certain place, at least once a year," he concluded.