Addis Ababa: Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, a national reforestation program, is preparing to plant more than 6.5 billion tree seedlings this upcoming planting season, according to Adefres Worku, the Coordinator of the Initiative’s Technical Committee.
Adefres told ENA that the program has already mapped 504,000 hectares of land out of the 1.8 million hectares where soil and water conservation efforts have been undertaken to prepare the sites for planting.
This massive reforestation effort is part of Ethiopia’s broader strategy to address deforestation and ensure food security.
Data from 2000 to 2013 indicates that the country was losing an average of 92,000 hectares of forest cover annually.
However, the Green Legacy Initiative aims to reverse this trend by preventing further degradation and increasing the nation’s forest cover.
Beyond environmental protection, Adefres highlighted the multifaceted benefits of the program.
The initiative is creating job opportunities in nurseries, as well as in sec
tors like animal husbandry, beekeeping, poultry farming, and fruit and vegetable production.
The initiative is also expected to bolster Ethiopia’s international standing as a leader in climate change mitigation.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration is spearheading the Green Legacy Initiative, building on the lessons learned from previous years.
Adefres noted that the program has inspired neighboring countries, and plans are underway to launch the initiative on a weekly and monthly basis with the participation of Ethiopian citizens.
Furthermore, the government has submitted a request to the Guinness Book of World Records to recognize the initiative’s ambitious goal of mass tree planting, where millions of Ethiopians are expected to participate.
Adefres emphasized that the Green Legacy Initiative is poised to deliver multifaceted benefits to Ethiopia’s economy, society, diplomacy, and overall efforts to combat the impacts of climate change.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency