AES El Salvador reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable urban development with the successful hosting of its eighth Urban Arboriculture Seminar, a key initiative under its AES Medio Ambiente program. The seminar highlighted the need to integrate sustainability and safety as foundational principles for building resilient and livable cities across the country.
During the event, Virginia Trujillo, Director of Communications and Public Relations at AES El Salvador, emphasized that urban arboriculture plays a vital role in achieving balanced urban growth. «We are convinced that urban planning using arboriculture techniques is essential for creating harmony between natural ecosystems and modern infrastructure,» she said.
Trujillo stressed that proper planning helps prevent risks to both people and infrastructure. “There is a suitable type of tree for every kind of space, structure, and climate. Understanding this is crucial to avoid planting that later becomes a hazard,” she explained.
Urban arboriculture, according to AES El Salvador, is not only about planting trees but ensuring their long-term maintenance and compatibility with the urban environment. “If we don’t plan for ongoing care, we may create green spaces that are visually pleasing but unsustainable,” Trujillo added.
Edgar Ojeda, a certified arborist and seminar speaker, noted that risk assessment is a central practice in modern arboriculture. It enables informed decisions regarding pruning, treatment, or removal based on a tree’s biomechanical condition, health, and proximity to infrastructure. “Emergency services in El Salvador are effective, but the country can advance further by shifting toward proactive prevention and updating public and private project standards to better protect urban trees,” he stated.
Since its inception, the Urban Arboriculture Seminar has trained over 631 participants from nearly 150 institutions, fostering a collaborative network focused on sustainable and responsible urban tree management.
The seminar is part of AES El Salvador’s broader sustainability strategy, which includes initiatives such as electromobility, electric vehicle fleets, energy efficiency training for industry, and clean energy solutions. These programs aim to advance the country’s transformation into a cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable urban landscape.
