‘Vital to plant the right type of trees at the right location’

Green effort: Trees can help mitigate climate change.

PETALING JAYA: Urban planners will have one more tool at their disposal when it comes to choosing the right kind of trees to be planted to mitigate the effects of climate change. Think City, with the support of Penang Island City Council and EIT Climate-KIC, has unveiled the Atlas of Climate Resilient Trees (ACResT).

ACResT is a platform that serves as a depository of information about tree species that are suited for various places as a guide for city planners and landscapers.

The platform was launched at Think City’s office in George Town recently by Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang.

In his speech, Yew said they were pleased to have co-funded the development of ACResT.

“We are looking forward to seeing this resource benefit the council in identifying the right tree for the right place,” he said.

MBPP, he added, had committed to planting around 100,000 trees within three years to boost urban greenery.

“We hope that the council’s involvement and initiation of such green efforts will be a benchmark to lead the nation towards building more resilient cities with the planting of the right tree species.

“I look forward to seeing ACResT add benefit to citymakers and landscapers in preparing to adapt to climate change, and I urge city councils in the country to make use of this resource,” he said.

The platform was created following a review of local tree species through the climate-resilient Urban Tree Species Study for Malaysia, a research by Think City in 2020 which looked at 251 species, or around 8% of Peninsular Malaysia’s 2,830 known tree species.

ACResT will gather information about tree species characteristics in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, so landscapers can select trees that suit the location.