Hugging a tree by participants

HSs

In New York, on April 22, 175 parties (174 countries and the European Union) signed the Paris Agreement at a ceremony at UN Headquarters that far exceeded the historical record for first-day signatures to an international agreement. It's coming into force as millions of people around the globe mark annual Earth Day. The theme of this year Earth Day is focused on trees with the aim of mobilizing nearly eight billion plantings, or one for every man, woman and child alive by 2020. The link between the Paris Agreement and trees is clear - forests will be key allies for combating climate change.

On the occasion of this important event the UNFCCC secretariat has launched a campaign and asked everyone to do one or all of three things:

1) Plant a tree for the Paris Agreement signing and maybe attach a little plaque

2) Hug a tree for the Paris Agreement signing

3) Sketch or photograph your favorite

Mr. Maryam Schmidt and Yeyhia Khaled planting the tree

HSS

Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, said: "Planting, hugging or sketching a tree to mark the signing of the Paris Agreement and to celebrate Earth Day is an expression of solidarity, love and hope".

In the framework of the MENA-Region project "Climate Change and Protected Areas" (see previous article) the first workshop for practitioner from all over the region started (not without reason!!) on the 22nd of April 2016 in the "Royal Academy of Nature Conservation" in Ajloun.

Participants from Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia have expressed their commitment to the signing of the agreement by hugging a tree.

Group of participants attending the celebration

HSs

And on the 24th of April 2016 Mrs. Maryam Schmidt, Head of Division Middle East, North Africa of the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung in Munich and Mr. Yehya Khaled, Director of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), have planted a tree in the gardens around the academy with a special plaque marking the Paris Agreement and Earth Day in the presence of the delegates from the MENA-countries.

The workshop is part of a series of the three workshops build on each other in order to improve the knowledge and management skills of executives and employees of institutions that are entrusted with the management of protected areas, in regard to increasing the resilience of protected areas and their role in climate change mitigation and adaptation.