Tending to scars of war
Mosul local leads tree-planting revolution to restore city’s greenery
MOSUL – Anas Al-Tai, a 34-year-old resident of Mosul, is leading an initiative to replace the greenery that was lost in his city during the battles with the Islamic State terror group.
Since earning his degree from the College of Agriculture in 2013, Al-Tai has been at the helm of what he calls the “Tree Planting Revolution,” which began in 2017. To date, his initiative has successfully planted 50,000 trees, with an ambitious goal of reaching one million.
Al-Tai’s passion for environmental care began in childhood and was reignited following Mosul’s liberation from ISIS. “We started with the first campaign, which included planting a thousand trees to draw the attention of the government and the community,” Al-Tai explained. The project has since evolved, with annual plantings now totaling 10,000 trees.
The city of Mosul endured severe devastation during the conflict with ISIS, which began in 2014 and lasted until their expulsion in 2017. ISIS’s control over the city led to widespread destruction of infrastructure and heritage sites, significantly altering its historic landscape. The battle to reclaim Mosul was marked by intense urban warfare, which resulted in significant casualties and displaced thousands of residents.
The conflict left large portions of the city in ruins, with many areas facing complete obliteration of civic facilities, residential buildings, and green spaces. This period significantly shaped the city’s current needs for reconstruction and rehabilitation, including efforts to restore its environmental integrity.
In 2019, Al-Tai expanded his efforts by establishing the Muthabirun Foundation, focusing on environmental issues including water, plants, soil, and climate. While initially funded through various projects, the foundation now sustains its activities through donations from citizens and some political figures.
“We launched the ‘Shajar’ initiative for the 2023-2024 season, which will continue for 14 years,” Al-Tai noted. “This season alone, we planted more than 15,000 trees, covering all districts and areas of Nineveh.”
Community involvement have been crucial. Residents themselves have planted 38,000 trees, documenting their efforts through photos and videos in homes, government institutions, private establishments, schools, and universities. “Our foundation has created mini-forests, each containing between 50 to 100 trees, and I have personally planted at 316 sites across Nineveh,” Al-Tai added. These sites were chosen based on criteria like the availability of drip irrigation and the commitment of the participants.
The team has distributed trees to citizens and employees for planting in their homes and workplaces, selecting species like eucalyptus, albizia, and the Christ thorn jujube for their resilience to harsh climates, rapid growth, and significant foliage.
Despite the success, Al-Tai faces challenges, including criticism from some community members and government institutions. “The criticism from some community members, including academics who belittle my work despite their lack of contributions, and some governmental institutions perceiving our work as competition, which includes personal biases,” he explained.
Al-Tai remains undeterred, emphasizing his goal of collaborating with all institutions and community members to enhance green spaces in Nineveh for the benefit of future generations.
“Raising community awareness about the importance of planting and environmental care was very challenging initially,” he said, recalling his early efforts to promote tree planting on his Facebook account, which now enjoys a large following.
Today, the Muthabirun Foundation employs twelve people, and the ‘Shajar’ campaign has seen participation from 2,000 individuals, highlighting the growing community support for Al-Tai’s vision to transform Mosul into a verdant city.
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