LETTERS: I refer to the letter titled "Protect our roadside trees" (NST, April 25).
I agree with the comments made by Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor, former Forest Research Institute of Malaysia director-general.
Over the years, I have noticed that trees removed for development projects in the Klang Valley have not been replaced.
The roadside trees form a beautiful canopy. They protect us from ultraviolet rays, provide clean air, prevent erosion and maintain healthy soil.
Unfortunately, our infrastructure design gives little consideration to roadside trees.
When roadside trees are damaged by human activity, there is little chance that they will recover without human intervention.
Deforestation has many effects, including reduced rainfall and drought, loss of biodiversity and increased carbon emissions.
We should care about these issues because our wellbeing depends on a healthy environment.
The trees that have been cut down are one example of how we take nature for granted.
We ignore the impact of our actions on the environment because we don't think about what will happen if we lose what we have.
This mindset needs to change. Let us ensure future generations can enjoy nature as much as we have.
A solution is to restore what has been uprooted.
The authorities should require contractors to replace and replant trees felled for development.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
Chairman,
Alliance For Safe Community
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times