PM Modi, other G20 leaders visit mangrove forests in Bali

NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other G20 leaders visited and planted mangroves at the Taman Hutan Raya Ngurah Rai Mangrove forests on the sidelines of G-20 Summit in Bali, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

“PM @narendramodi and other G20 leaders visited a mangrove forest in Bali, giving a strong message of coming together to tackle climate change and boost sustainable development. India has also joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted.

“With G-20 leaders at the Mangrove Forest in Bali,” another tweet said.

Mangroves play an important role in global conservation efforts. India has joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC), a joint initiative of Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates under Indonesia’s G20 presidency.

More than 50 mangrove species can be found spread over 5000 sq km in India. India has been emphasising on the need to protect and restore mangroves, which are rich sites of biodiversity and serve as effective carbon sinks.

PM Modi is in Bali to attend the G20 summit where world leaders will discuss challenges triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and topped by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed at the summit venue by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, ahead of the formal opening of the summit.

Indonesia will hand over the presidency of the G20 to India at the conclusion of the summit in Bali.

On Tuesday, PM Modi met with several leaders on the sidelines of the summit, including US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He also interacted and addressed a gathering of the Indian diaspora and friends of India in Bali.