Why Arbor Month matters more than ever
Trees cool cities, protect communities and strengthen resilience.
Arbor Month may have arrived without much fuss, but its significance is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Across South Africa and around the world, climate change is no longer a distant risk. It is being felt through more intense heat, flooding, drought, wildfires and pressure on the natural systems that communities depend on.
Against that backdrop, trees deserve to be seen differently. They are not simply part of the scenery or a pleasant addition to a neighbourhood. They are living infrastructure: cooling streets, storing carbon, supporting biodiversity, improving air quality, protecting soil and water systems, and creating healthier places in which people can live.
That makes Arbor Month more than a symbolic environmental observance. It is a reminder that the decisions we make about planting, protecting and restoring trees today will shape the resilience of our communities for decades to come.
Why trees matter now
Forests still cover around 4.14 billion hectares, or 32% of the world’s land area, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Yet the pressure on forests remains substantial. Global deforestation averaged about 10.9 million hectares a year between 2015 and 2025, and 489 million hectares of forest have been lost to deforestation since 1990.[1]
The consequences extend far beyond the loss of trees themselves. Forests and urban trees support ecosystems, store carbon, help regulate water, provide food and materials, and create habitats for wildlife. In cities, they also provide something increasingly valuable: relief from heat.
A 2024 global analysis of 182 studies across 110 cities and regions found that urban trees can lower pedestrian level temperatures by as much as 12°C in certain conditions. The cooling effect varies by climate, species and urban design, but the finding reinforces a critical point: well planned urban greening can be a practical part of how cities adapt to rising temperatures.[2]
That matters for human health too. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 489 000 heat related deaths occurred globally each year between 2000 and 2019. As exposure to extreme heat increases, shade, green space and cooler neighbourhoods are becoming part of the conversation about public health and urban resilience.[3]
By the numbers
4.14 billion ha Estimated global forest area about 32% of the world’s land area. | 10.9 million ha Average annual deforestation between 2015 and 2025. |
Up to 12°C Potential reduction in pedestrian level temperatures from urban trees in certain conditions. | 10 million trees South Africa’s target for Heritage Day, 24 September 2026. |
From Arbor Day to Arbor Month
South Africa’s Arbor tradition has developed over more than four decades. National Arbor Day was first celebrated in 1983. In 1996, the observance was extended from a single day to National Arbor Week, reflecting growing recognition of the need to encourage tree planting and conservation.[4] In 2018, South Africa marked the campaign as National Arbor Month for the first time, extending the focus across September.[5]
The purpose remains simple but important: to encourage people, communities, organisations and government to plant trees, protect those already growing and recognise the role that forests and green spaces play in sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity and environmental resilience.
The significance of that message is particularly relevant in South Africa, where environmental pressures intersect with rapid urbanisation, inequality and the need to create healthier, greener public spaces. A tree planted in a school, clinic, park or residential area can therefore be more than an environmental gesture. It can become shade, habitat, food, a gathering place and, over time, part of the character and resilience of a community.
Ten million trees. One Heritage Day.
In May 2026, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment launched the Presidential One Billion Trees Programme under the theme, “My Tree, My Oxygen. Plant Yours Today.” The programme seeks to mobilise government, business, civil society, communities, traditional leaders, young people and individuals to participate in tree planting as part of a broader response to climate change.[6]
This year’s immediate target is ambitious: South Africa aims to plant 10 million indigenous trees on Heritage Day, 24 September 2026. The trees are intended for schools, community parks, health facilities and residential spaces across the country.[7]
The target builds on the momentum of Heritage Day 2025, when more than 1.3 million trees were planted nationally exceeding the one-million-tree target. Government has highlighted that the achievement was driven by donations and participation from citizens, businesses, communities and other partners.[6]
There is something fitting about connecting tree planting with Heritage Day. Heritage is not only what we inherit from previous generations; it is also what we choose to leave behind. A mature tree may outlive the person who plants it. Its shade, fruit, habitat and environmental value can serve people who were not yet born when it first took root.
A global legacy taking root
The recognition of trees as part of long term environmental legacy is not unique to South Africa. Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, FIFA partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to support reforestation and community tree planting projects across all 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The initiative aims to support the planting of one million trees through reforestation projects, while community projects across the host cities are expected to add more than 12 000 trees to parks, schools, trail systems and public gathering spaces. The work is designed to contribute to biodiversity, watershed resilience, disaster recovery and reduced urban heat long after the tournament has ended.[8]
It is an important reminder that sustainability is most meaningful when it creates benefits that remain after the event, campaign or headline has passed.
The quiet work of a tree
Perhaps one reason trees are easy to take for granted is that much of their work happens silently. They filter air, intercept rainfall, stabilise soil, create habitats, provide shade, support biodiversity and help regulate local temperatures. They can make a street more walkable, a school playground more comfortable and a neighbourhood more liveable.
No single tree can solve climate change, and tree planting cannot replace the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or protect existing forests. But that does not diminish its value. Planting the right trees, in the right places, and caring for them over the long term is one practical action that individuals, businesses and communities can take.
The emphasis on care matters. A tree planting target is only the beginning. The real environmental return comes when trees survive, mature and become part of functioning ecosystems and communities. That requires suitable species, responsible planting, water, maintenance and protection.
What will we plant for the future?
Arbor Month gives us an opportunity to look at the trees around us with greater appreciation and to recognise what is at stake when they disappear. It also invites us to consider what role each of us can play in creating greener, more resilient places.
This Arbor Month, take one meaningful action. Plant a tree. Protect one already growing. Donate to a credible greening initiative. Encourage your workplace, school or community to participate. Because the legacy we plant today can provide shade, resilience and possibility for generations to come. |
Sources
[1] FAO: Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025: global forest extent and deforestation trends
[2] Communications Earth & Environment: Cooling efficacy of trees across cities (2024)
[3] World Health Organization: Heat and health (updated 31 July 2026)
[4] South African Government: Arbor Week history
[5] South Africa Yearbook 2018/19: National Arbor Month
[8] FIFA: Tree-planting initiative across all FIFA World Cup 2026™ Host Cities, 22 April 2026
Veenesh Dhayalam