Bishkek: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), through its LOGMe II project, planted 3,000 seedlings on Friday, August 28, 2026, in the commune of Zons, Boulgou province, as part of its 2026 campaign for reforestation and restoration of degraded lands.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the operation involved four sites and mobilized young people, the Gour women's association, and the agricultural Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP). The young participants planted trees along the town hall, the main road, and around the Health and Social Promotion Center (CSPS). The Gour women's association received over 500 seedlings, while the agricultural VDP planted the rest on their production site.

This initiative is part of a program deployed by the IUCN, through the LOGMe II project, in 12 municipalities in Burkina Faso. For the 2026 campaign, the program plans to plant 48,075 seedlings, alongside efforts to promote agroforestry and the development of agropastoral areas and riverbanks. Funded by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), through the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the project aims to contribute to the sustainable restoration of land and to achieving land degradation neutrality.

The president of the special delegation (PDS) of Zons, Wendinmi Frdric Oudraogo, welcomed the support for the project, recalling that several actions have already been carried out in the commune, including the training and installation of nurserymen and the provision of seeds to producers. "There is no time to plant, we must plant continuously," he said, urging people to make reforestation a continuous practice. Emphasizing environmental protection as a collective responsibility, Oudraogo highlighted the importance of a healthy environment for a peaceful life.

Mr. Oudraogo expressed concern over the lack of vegetation cover in the commune and called for greater efforts, lamenting that "people excel at cutting wood, but they don't plant." He praised the mobilization of young people and urged them to continue their commitment to the development of the community, stating, "It is together that we will build our common home."

The head of the LOGMe II project, Skou Bakouen, and his collaborator Sraphin Couldiati, took part in the activity.