Trees provide many ecosystem services and environmental benefits for the planet as a whole. As they grow, they absorb and store carbon dioxide—a major driver of global heating. In a scientific paper published in Science magazine, researchers estimate that a worldwide tree planting program could remove two-thirds of all the emissions that have been pumped into the atmosphere as a result of human activities.
Researchers found that tree restoration was among the most effective strategies for climate change mitigation. They show that the global potential tree coverage stands at 4.4 billion hectares of canopy under the current climate. Planting trees is therefore considered the biggest and cheapest way to tackle the climate crisis.
Ethiopia has witnessed tangible progress in reforestation following the annual green legacy initiative launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD). The initiative has been an outstanding achievement in massive tree-planting efforts since 2019.
Accordingly, more than 350 million trees were planted throughout the country in a single day. This year, the tree plantation is set to double this amount. The government has set a plan to plant 600 million tree saplings in a single day, as part of the Green Legacy Initiative.
According to the UN World Environment Program, Ethiopia launched a historic tree planting campaign in 2019 where over 350 million trees were planted in an ambitious move to counter the effects of deforestation and climate change.
Moreover, the initiative aims to tackle the effects of deforestation and climate change in the country. The United Nations estimates that Ethiopia’s forest coverage has declined drastically to a low of just 4 percent in the 2000s from 35 percent a century earlier. However, following the initiative, it was possible to increase the coverage to 23.6 percent from 17.2.
“Afforestation is the most effective climate change solution to date and with the new record set by Ethiopia, other African nations should move with speed and challenge the status quo,” said Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo, Director of UN Environment’s Africa Office.
“Africa has what it takes to spearhead this global push and as the most affected and vulnerable continent, climate change mitigation must be the topmost priority in the coming days. We, at UN Environment, are taking the lead in helping to build capacity for nations and people to apply themselves to afforestation and climate change mitigation strategies,” she added.
So far, the UN Environment Program is working with countries across the continent to replicate such initiatives to stop deforestation and increase forest cover. This is crucial in honoring African countries’ commitments to mitigate climate change and contribute to the achievement of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Thus, this year, the country has targeted to plant over 600 million tree saplings; and today Ethiopians from all walks of life are exerting the utmost energy to achieve success as usual and write history.
Green Legacy Initiative Technical Committee Deputy Chairperson Getachew Gizaw informed local media in relation the preparation made to achieve this ambitious goal. Last year, Ethiopia planted around 566 million tree saplings in a single day, surpassing its target of 500 million.
These years of experience and planning indicate the capacity to plant 600 million saplings in a day. The identification of approximately 7,700 plantation sites and the selection of sapling types have been completed, with experts assigned to report the task from various administrative levels.
The use of technology will play a critical role in overcoming limitations such as inaccurate reporting. A geo-referencing system has been set up to manage and verify reports from each site, ensuring precision. Efforts are being made to match tree species with the local ecology, and sector experts are supporting the process from preparation to planting.
Over 28 million citizens are expected to participate in today’s massive plantation effort. Various strategies are in place to surpass the previous record, and the use of technology is expected to provide global credibility to the effort.
The Green Legacy Initiative National Technical Committee Secretary Fanose Mekonnen reiterated that after finalizing all the preparations, today the country is planting seedlings, -600 million seedlings in a single day-aiming to break the world record.
The geo-referencing system will significantly showcase Ethiopia’s greenery potential and ensure accurate reporting, which is vital to the country’s goal of building a green and climate-resilient economy.
A priority has been given to planting eco-friendly and climate-resistant seedlings to enhance forestry development. Additionally, beautification saplings have been prepared for metropolitan areas, with a special focus on indigenous species that help conserve soil and water resources.
Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative also aligns with global efforts to restore 15 million hectares of degraded forests and landscapes by 2030. The 46th meeting of the Least Developed Countries Export Group (LEG) recognized Ethiopia’s contribution to global climate change efforts, particularly through the Green Legacy Initiative. The meeting emphasized integrating gender perspectives into the initiatives and operations of the LEG, with discussions involving representatives from various global organizations aimed at enhancing support for least-developed countries (LDCs).
Recently, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed revealed that Ethiopia’s forest cover report had increased to 23.6 percent by 2023 from 17.2 percent in 2019. The Prime Minister also noted the importance of the need to continue building on this progress to increase forest coverage.
The Prime Minister tweeted that “our goal for this year is to reach 40 billion seedlings from our overall target of 50 billion, which means we need to collectively plant 7.5 billion seedlings this planting cycle.”
“For anyone who wants to leave a legacy for future generations, we must invest in the future today,” he added.
In sum, the annual tree plantation progress in Ethiopia ensures combating the worsening climate change impact on the Earth. No one should left behind this golden initiative to guarantee future generations and nature’s survival and make history by breaking the world record.
BY TEWODROS KASSA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 23 AUGUST 2024
