Bandar Seri Begawan - There has been a positive response among the public in government's efforts towards raising environmental awareness since the Sultanate began celebrating World Forestry Day (WFD).

According to the department's statement yesterday, Brunei's active participation in the international multi-lateral environmental agreements has received a full support from the general public.

The department disclosed that to mark the launching of World Forestry Day 2010 on March 21, 2010, the Forestry Department will be organising a mass tree planting event involving the public, especially students, who they consider to be the future custodian of the forest resources.

"This annual event is part and parcel of the continuous public awareness programme organised by the department aimed to continuously inculcate the sense of responsibility and love to the nation's forest and nature,"the department said.

Themed "Forests: source of Biodiversity Richness" or Huron: Sumber Kekayaan Kepelbagaian Biologi in line with the Convention of Biological Diversity's (CBD) 2010 target of reducing the world's biodiversity loss due to unstoppable ecological degradation associated with the depletion of the world's forest, WFD2010 will put more emphasis on the mass tree planting project "Thus, this grand forest rehabilitation activity will send environmental message to the international communities and symbolise the national's strategic commitment to support the CBD2010 target," the statement read.

"Furthermore, the activity will further strengthen the forest and nature conservation policy which in par with the project implementation framework of the Brunei Heart of Borneo initiative."

Unlike previous years involving only students, the Forestry Department is inviting all levels of participants to join the mass tree planting activity held at no cost.

Interested parties are requested to contact the department for details of the activity.

Depending on the response of the public, the department will allocate around 60,000 seedlings to be planted throughout next year.

According to statistics posted by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), earlier this year, Brunei was ranked among the top 10 most forested nations in the world.

The database of statistics compiled by FAO's experts in the fields of agronomy, forestry, livestock, fishery and economics, among others placed the Sultanate among countries such as Sweden, North Korea, Finland, Palau and the Solomon Islands on the list of the most forested nations in terms of percentage.

The department's deputy director Mahmud Yussof said that the survey was a good reflection on Brunei's effective forest conservation policies in addition to His Majesty's leadership in maintaining the country's international green image. Other factors which he brought up included the effective and coherent national forest policies and stringent legal framework along with the increase in the public's awareness on the importance of conserving Brunei's forest as well as the support from all levels of communities in the country.