HYDERABAD: TREE CITY OF THE WORLD
Context
- Hyderabad city (Telangana’s Capital) has been recognised as a ‘2020 Tree City of the World’ by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
- Hyderabad has earned recognition in the Foundation’s second year of the programme along with 51 other cities in the world (during 2020 & cumulative 120 cities from 63 countries). Most of the cities were from countries – USA, UK, Canada, Australia etc.
- It is the only City in India to get this recognition so far.
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- It is a programme partnership between the Arbor Day Foundation and the FAO.
- To be eligible as a ‘Tree City’, cities need to conform to the following five standards:
- Standard 1: Establish Responsibility
- The city has a written statement by city leaders delegating responsibility for the care of trees within the municipal boundary to a staff member, a city department, or a group of citizens—called a Tree Board.
- Standard 2: Set the Rules
- The city has in place a law or an official policy that governs the management of forests and trees. These rules describe how work must be performed—often citing best practices or industry standards for tree care and worker safety—where and when they apply, and penalties for noncompliance.
- Standard 3: Know What You Have
- The city has an updated inventory or assessment of the local tree resource so that an effective long-term plan for planting, care, and removal of city trees can be established.
- Standard 4: Allocate the Resources
- The city has a dedicated annual budget for the routine implementation of the tree management plan.
- Standard 5: Celebrate Achievements
- The city holds an annual celebration of trees to raise awareness among residents and to acknowledge citizens and staff members who carry out the city tree programme.