On International Day of Forests, Nepalese peacekeepers plant trees

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26 Mar 2018

On International Day of Forests, Nepalese peacekeepers plant trees

In marking the International Day of Forests (21 March), UNIFIL’s Nepalese peacekeepers planted tree saplings in their main base in Meiss ej-Jebel and surrounding areas last week. 
 
The greening activity has been a part of the Nepalese Battalion (NEPBATT)’s wider initiative, which requires its 870 peacekeepers to plant trees in their birth month. The personnel planting the saplings are also responsible to conserve them. There are 68 Nepalese peacekeepers having their birthdays in March.
 
Since the deployment of the current battalion in October 2017, the Nepalese peacekeepers have planted more than 150 trees. 
 
Commenting on the initiative, NEPBATT Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Narayan Bahadur Thapa said he believes in planting and “conserving today for tomorrow and succeeding generations.”
 
“When the saplings that we have planted in our bases and in the surrounding areas become trees one day, they will give fresh air to not just the UNIFIL peacekeepers but also the local population,” he said. “This initiative is in line with the UN’s ‘Greening the Blue’ campaign and this also limits our environmental footprint.”
 
Furthermore, under the slogan “Scraps to Sceneries,” NEPBATT has also been using the scraps, such as plastic bottles, to beautify the premises.