HCM City Transport Department has rejected a proposal by the Vietnam Coconut Association to plant coconut palms on the streets of the city as they believe it would be dangerous in an urban environment.
Coconut palms at a quieter location
The decision was announced on October 22 after a round of consultation.
On October 8, Che Dinh Ly, deputy director of HCMC National University's Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, said authorities should take climate change into consideration when choosing trees that provide large amounts of shade in the city. Coconut palms not only fail to meet this requirement but also pose a threat due to falling coconuts.
According to many experts, the plan to harvest the trees would be infeasible because HCM City's streets are always busy. Coconut palms were also rejected as possibly inviting pests and requiring regular pesticide usage.
The HCM City Green Park Company which is responsible for planting and taking care of the trees, also rejected the proposal. The company's representative said they had already been asked to remove other palm trees from the city due to safety issues.
HCM City Transport Department said coconut palms would only be planted at suitable locations.
In September, the Vietnam Coconut Association suggested planting coconut palms along new streets and river banks to better cope with storms.
HCM City has more than 500km of canal-side roads. If coconut palms were planted every five metres, the city would have 100,000 more trees. The association said the trees required little care, which would save the city money. They would also produce palm leaves and coconuts, which could be collected by traditional villages that specialised in making brooms, baskets or souvenirs for tourists.
