Govt launches ‘One Child, One Tree’ drive to plant 25 crore trees

The government has announced a large-scale environmental programme titled “One Child, One Tree,” aiming to plant 25 crore trees over the next five years to combat climate change and expand green employment opportunities.

The government will implement a nationwide tree plantation programme involving 25 crore saplings over the next five years, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said while presenting the FY2026-27 budget in Parliament on Thursday.

He said the initiative is expected to create around 3.5 lakh direct and indirect green jobs across the country.

As part of the “One Child, One Tree” campaign, students in government primary schools will be encouraged to plant 1 crore trees around their homes and surroundings.

For the FY2026-27 period, the government plans to plant over 4.28 crore saplings in block plantations, 37 lakh in strip plantations, 1.77 crore in mangrove areas, and 56 lakh in homestead forestry programmes.

The finance minister also announced plans to bring 50 percent of coastal mangrove forests under carbon trading schemes and introduce a circular waste management model to promote environmental sustainability.

The measures are part of the government’s broader climate resilience strategy outlined in the national budget.

TZ