Consider the following statements:
- Statement 1: The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Arbor Day Foundation have recently recognized Hyderabad as 2020 Tree City of the World.
- Statement 2: Hyderabad was selected for the recognition for a year following its commitment to grow and maintain the urban forests.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) Statement 1 is not correct but Statement 2 is correct
Statement 1 is wrong because the 'Tree Cities of the World' recognition is given by the Arbor Day Foundation together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), not the UN Capital Development Fund. Statement 2 is correct: Hyderabad was among the 120 cities recognised for 2020 for meeting the programme's urban-forest standards.
- ✗ Statement 1 The programme is a partnership of FAO and the Arbor Day Foundation, launched in 2019. UNCDF, which is a UN fund for least developed countries' finance, has no role in it, so naming it makes the statement wrong although Hyderabad and the Arbor Day Foundation are right.
- ✓ Statement 2 Hyderabad was one of 120 cities in 23 countries recognised for 2020. Each city has to meet five qualifying standards on managing and celebrating its urban forests.
Remember · Tree Cities of the World = FAO + Arbor Day Foundation (from 2019). Hyderabad was recognised for 2020. The UN Capital Development Fund is not involved.
Sources
- FAO newsroom, 'The Arbor Day Foundation and FAO recognise 120 Tree Cities of the World' (30 March 2021) ↗ “The Tree Cities of the World programme is a partnership of FAO and the Arbor Day Foundation, launched in 2019. … A total of 120 cities from 23 countries earned this international designation in 2020, including Toronto, Canada; New York, USA; Guadalajara, Mexico; Birmingham, United Kingdom; Campo Grande, Brazil; Hyderabad, India; and Kampala, Uganda. … To earn this recognition, each of these cities demonstrated its commitment to trees and forestry by meeting five qualifying standards related to the management and celebration of urban forests.”
- UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF): Who we are ↗ · reference work “Established by the United Nations in 1966, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) helps unlock finance in Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States, and fragile settings, where risks are high and capital is scarce.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·