Day: June 26, 2024

Addis Ababa: The national afforestation campaign being held under the Green Legacy Initiative in Ethiopia has been instrumental in preserving indigenous plant species in the country, Gulele Botanical Garden reports.

Ethiopia is one of the leading countries in the world with its rich biodiversity as the country is endowed with more than 6,000 plant species of which 600 are endemic.

This natural resource has been experiencing threats due to various reasons including climate change, pollution and misuse of natural resources.

However, the Green Legacy Initiative being implemented for the last five years has given paramount importance to the forestation and preservation of indigenous trees.

Reports indicate that during the last five years of the Green Legacy Initiative; more than 32 billion trees seedlings were planted with a survival rate of 90 percent.

As the result of the activities conducted through the initiative, Ethiopia’s forest cover report had increased to 23.6 percent by 2023 from 17.2 percent in 2
019.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed during the Green Legacy pre-launch program held last week disclosed plan to plant 7.5 billion trees under the National Green Legacy initiative this year under the theme ‘Generation that strengthens the country by planting trees.’

The consecutive tree planting campaigns conducted over several years in the country continued to focus on planting ingenious trees, it was learned.

ENA talked to Brehanu Belay, Director of Research and Development at Gulele Botanical Garden on matters related to efforts underway to conserve and preserve indigenous trees close to extinction in the country.

The Director said that tree planting campaigns that have been conducted over the last years have helped to provide an opportunity to realize the importance of nurturing and preserving trees for the use human beings and promoting the cognitive capacity of the citizens in the country.

He further noted that implementation of the National Green Legacy Initiative has enabled the center to expand its ou
treach program in popularizing and increasing the awareness of the public on the importance of planting and nurturing indigenous trees in the country.

The center is duplicating indigenous tree seedlings and supplying them to various institutions and communities to be planted as part of the national green legacy initiative, he said.

The center is collecting samples of indigenous trees that are close to extinction and reproduce them in the center to ensure their survival.

The Director mentioned that indigenous plants and trees that are used for traditional medicine and those used for lumber are among those trees vulnerable to extinction.

He further noted that the task of preserving these indigenous trees should not be left to a single organization but should be done in a more coordinated manner at national level.

The center is currently working with various universities in the country as part of an effort to expand the preservation of trees species that are vulnerable to extinction.

Source: Ethiopian New
s Agency

Addis Ababa: Ministry of Justice reiterated government’s commitment for better migration management, implementation of international agreements and laws to halt irregular migration.

The Second Annual National Conference on Migration Research opened today in Addis Ababa.

The two-day conference is organized by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Justice in cooperation with GIZ and Save the Children.

Opening the conference, Justice State Minister Belayhun Yirga underscored the significance of research to feed accurate decision making on migration management and response to crimes in the field.

The state minister reiterated government’s commitment for better migration management and implementation of international agreements and domestic laws to halt irregular migration and respond to illegal acts.

He pointed out that the government has also been encouraging legal migration to different countries as part of the efforts to a better management and response to irregular migration.

Ministry of Labor and S
kills has facilitated employment opportunities abroad for more than 300,000 citizens this fiscal year, it was pointed out.

The government in collaboration with partners and stakeholders have been working in the repatriation of Ethiopian migrants and reintegration activities at home. In the past five years, at least 500,000 Ethiopian migrants were repatriated, it was indicated.

The state minister also stated that government has been taking strong measures in establishing executive bodies, coordinating stakeholders, approving international laws and enacting domestic laws, taking law enforcement measures against criminals.

At least, a dozen of law frameworks, including the constitution are in effect to govern and respond to migration and the crimes related to the field in Ethiopia, it was learned.

Ministry of Education Research and Extension Desk Head, Serawit Handiso emphasized the importance of ensuring research findings, not just in migration but across all fields, are directly applicable to real-world de
cision-making.

To solve this challenge the desk at the ministry is coordinating the compilation of research findings for decision makers.

To address the challenge of impracticality, the Ministry’s research unit is actively synthesizing research findings from various sources to equip decision-makers with the necessary information.

According to him, most of the researches especially conducted in migration in Ethiopia lack institutional support, and are impractical to incorporate in decision making.

The First National Conference on Migration Research was held in Wachamo University in the Central Ethiopia region last year.

Ethiopia is a complex migration hub, serving as a country of origin, transit, and destination for refugees with a vast network for migration management, including 29 migration zones, 14 border exit gates, and 135 transit points, and irregular migration is prevalent in several regions, including Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, Central Ethiopia, and Sidama, it was indicated.

Source: Ethiopian News
Agency

Addis Ababa: Over 3 million deaths per year were attributable to alcohol consumption and drug use, a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) found.

Of these deaths, 2.6 million were attributable to alcohol consumption, accounting for nearly 5 per cent of all deaths, with the highest numbers in the WHO European Region and African Region.

Notably, the vast majority of these deaths were among men, with the highest prevalence in the 20-39 age groups, WHO indicated.

The death rates were also highest in low-income countries and lowest in high-income countries.

“Substance use severely harms individual health, increasing the risk of chronic diseases, mental health conditions, and tragically resulting in millions of preventable deaths every year,’ said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

‘It places a heavy burden on families and communities, increasing exposure to accidents, injuries, and violence,” he added.

The report found an estimated 400 million people lived with alcohol and drug us
e disorders globally. More than half of these individuals lived with alcohol dependence.

Given the immense health concerns, the report urged accelerated global action towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.5 by 2030 by reducing alcohol and drug consumption and improving access to quality treatment for substance use disorders.

Around the world, the highest levels of per capita alcohol consumption were found in the WHO European Region and the Region of the Americas.

WHO called on governments and partners to intensify actions in various strategic areas in order to accelerate progress towards achievement of SDG target 3.5, which aims to strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse.

“To build a healthier, more equitable society, we must urgently commit to bold actions that reduce the negative health and social consequences of alcohol consumption and make treatment for substance use disorders accessible and affordable,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom, said.

Strategic a
reas include increased awareness through a global advocacy campaign, scaling up the capacity of health care systems and the training of health professionals, and accelerating resource mobilization.

WHO is also urging a re-commitment to the implementation of the Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030, a comprehensive strategy to effectively reduce the harmful use of alcohol worldwide.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency