Context: This year Mumbai and Hyderabad have been jointly recognised as ‘2021 Tree City of the World’ for their commitment to growing and maintaining urban trees and greenery in building healthy, resilient and happy cities.

• While Mumbai has made the list for the first time, Hyderabad has featured on it for the second consecutive year.

About Tree City of the World status Programme

• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Arbor Day Foundation have developed this programme.
• It is to celebrate greener cities and towns worldwide.
• The Tree Cities of the World programme is committed to inspiring cities and towns to care for and celebrate their urban tree canopy.
• The aim of starting this programme was to recognise towns and cities across the globe that are committed to making sure that their trees and concrete forests are sustainably managed, properly maintained, and duly celebrated.
• Under this programme assistance, direction, and worldwide recognition is provided to those communities that are showing dedication to their urban forest. The programme also provides a framework for a sustainable and healthy urban forestry programme in a very city or a town.

The evaluation is based on five standards

1. Establish Responsibility: the city must have a written statement by city leaders delegating responsibility for the care of trees within the municipal boundary to a staff member, a city department, or a group of citizens; 
2. Set the Rules: the city has in place a law or an official policy that governs the management of forests and trees; 
3. Know what you have: The city has an updated inventory or assessment of the local tree resource; 
4. Allocate the Resources: The city has a dedicated annual budget for the routine implementation of the tree management plan 
5. Celebrate Achievements: The city holds an annual celebration of trees to raise awareness. 

Why it is a great achievement?

• This recognition is a testament to its sustained and institutional efforts to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees, development of urban and peri-urban forestry actions, projects, and strategic planning and commitment to building a healthy city now and for the future.