The Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy, in collaboration with the Scout Association of Maldives, officially launched the "Tree Guardian Badge" today as part of the broader national initiative to plant five million trees across the Maldives. The special badge, aimed at engaging children and youth in environmental conservation and nationwide tree planting efforts, was officially inaugurated by Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy, Honorable Ali Shareef.
To formalise the partnership, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during a dedicated ceremony held at the Ministry. The agreement was signed by Deputy Minister Ahmed Athif on behalf of the Ministry, who oversees the Five Million Tree Planting Project, while Vice President Ahmed Haneef signed on behalf of the Scout Association of Maldives.
Under this initiative, a comprehensive set of guidelines has been formulated outlining the criteria for scouts to earn the badge. The Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy will provide the saplings required for planting activities, and scouts will be entrusted with the ongoing responsibility of nurturing, monitoring, and maintaining the trees until they are fully grown.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Ali Shareef stated that the five million tree planting pledge is designed to ensure that greening efforts run parallel to land reclamation and landscaping projects across the country. He noted that the active involvement of the scouts represents a major step forward for the program, emphasising that the new badge will serve as an essential and impactful milestone for scouts nationwide.
The government-led campaign has already seen substantial progress, with 2.3 million trees planted so far this year. To guarantee the long-term sustainability of the project, development is also underway to establish tree nurseries across 20 islands in the Maldives.