KUALA LUMPUR: All local councils are encouraged to employ at least one arborist to manage trees in their areas by 2030.
Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu (pic) said currently, only 18 arborists are actively serving 11 local authorities.
To improve tree management and maintenance in urban areas, the ministry urges each local authority to have at least one arborist by 2030.
During the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Nov 4), she noted this initiative.
Meanwhile, only 89 out of the 156 local authorities have their own landscape departments conducting ongoing tree management and maintenance.
She identified aged trees as one of the causes of fallen trees.
To address this, at-risk aged trees have been identified, and manuals on tree management have been issued.
Local authority officers are also trained to handle these issues.
She was responding to Datuk Shamsulkahar Deli (Barisan–Jempol) regarding efforts to improve landscape management in urban areas to reduce accidents involving trees due to the shortage of certified arborists in the country.
