Israel approves 716-mln-USD national plan to plant 450,000 street trees due to climate change-Xinhua

Israel approves 716-mln-USD national plan to plant 450,000 street trees due to climate change

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2022-01-24 02:02:00

JERUSALEM, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israel has launched a national plan for shadowing and cooling the urban environment, according to a joint statement issued Sunday by Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The plan, at a total of 2.25 billion shekels (about 716 million U.S. dollars), includes the planting of about 450,000 trees along about 3 million meters of streets by 2040.

The plan, aiming to prepare for climate changes, was approved by the Israeli government after submitted by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Minister of Environmental Protection Tamar Zandberg and Minister of Agriculture Oded Forer.

The trees will be planted following artificial intelligence mapping of the existing tree shade cover in the local authorities.

"The trees will also significantly reduce heat spots, protect from heavy rains and reduce further negative consequences of climate change and pollution," according to the statement.