
It is worth mentioning that Ethiopia has been playing a paramount role in addressing climate-related issues through the Green Legacy initiative. More to the point, the successful implementation of the initiative has been witnessed in restoring improvised land and rejuvenating damage caused to the environment at the earliest possible opportunity.
Since the onset of the Green Legacy Initiative, people from all segments of society have planted a wide range of tree seedlings in every nook and cranny of the country in a successful manner and a winning fashion. As part of the initiative, billions of tree seedlings have been planted in the length and breadth of the country as soon as practicable.
It is no hyperbole to say the promising strides unfolding in every square inch of the country along this line is a breakthrough achievement and a landmark development. This reality on the ground demonstrates in black and white the fact that the government is fully committed to covering the various areas positioned in various parts of the country with success at the earliest possible moment.
It should be borne in mind that President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Taye Atskeselassie, in the recent past delivered a speech at the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference (COP-29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, according to a source.
In his address, he highlighted Ethiopia’s forward-looking commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable development, citing key national efforts such as the Green Legacy Initiative.
The President emphasized Ethiopia’s proactive measures in protecting and nurturing natural resources and outlined major projects aimed at addressing and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
He further stressed the importance of international collaboration and support for such environmental efforts underlining that global backing is essential to ensure the success and sustainability of climate resilience projects.
Apart from tackling climate-related issues, the Green Legacy Initiative has turned out to be a means to ensure food security on a state-wide basis at the earliest possible juncture. It has commonly been assumed that as part of the Initiative, people from all walks of life and all sections of the population in some years have taken part in planting trees in the left, right, and center of the country.
It is important to highlight that the Green Legacy Initiative has brought to fruition fundamental changes and significant developments for the country’s prosperity in combating global climate change.
All things considered, in the wake of the Green Legacy Initiative, the general public has covered the various parts of the country with various types of tree samplings. Against this backdrop, the desired goal of the initiative has been set in motion turning its dream into a reality.
In an exclusive interview with ENA, Annah Agasha, FSC Coordinator for Eastern Africa, explained that Ethiopia offers a favorable environment for forestry, noting its rich biodiversity and indigenous trees that provide vital climate, social, and economic services. Ethiopia’s rich, various forest trees and biodiversity, with some species found only in the country, if managed properly, the country can achieve better forest production, she said.
Agasha also acknowledged Ethiopia’s efforts to meet the international standards set by the council for forestry management certification. She highlighted that the country has worked diligently to restore degraded lands and ensure food security through the Green Legacy Initiative. According to her, the initiative played a crucial role in Ethiopia’s inclusion in the council’s forestry management program.
“Ethiopia is one of the iconic countries rich in biodiversity, home to a wide variety of species, some of which are endemic to the country. Communities can adopt this standard and implement forestry activities at the local level through participatory forest management approaches. This will contribute to improving the quality of forests, which, in turn, can lead to better forest products”
The green legacy initiative has been paving the way for getting to the bottom of disaster-triggered predicaments by global climate change. Following the unwavering stance of the government and the promising action surfacing across the country, Nations in various parts of the world can learn an important lesson from Ethiopia, for the most part, in conserving natural endowments and covering degraded lands.
The other important thing to be stressed here is that Ethiopian Green Legacy initiative has a significant role in fashioning resilience capacity, particularly in dry geographic regions of the country. Other than that, the initiative will smooth the path of improving livelihoods, reducing vulnerability, and whatnot in the timeliest manner possible.
In actual fact, owing to its fruitful outcomes, the Green Legacy Initiative has won the hearts and minds of the wider international community. It is worth noting that as far as this, the country has planted billions of seedling trees through nationwide Green Legacy Initiatives on a statewide basis over a short period of time.
The House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR) unanimously approved a bill for the establishment and management of a special fund for the activities of green legacy and rehabilitation of degraded lands, crucial for the effective implementation of the Green Legacy Initiative, according to information obtained from a local media.
In the 12th regular meeting of the council, the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Planning, Budget, and Finance, Desalegn Wedajo recently presented a report and a proposal regarding the bill. The bill will support the effective and continuous management of the Green Legacy Program in Ethiopia. He stated that the green legacy initiative, launched in the last six years, has significantly contributed to the recovery of degraded land.
According to the bill, 0.5 to 1% of the total government budget each year will be allocated to the special fund, with states also contributing based on their capacity. This legislation marks a significant step towards ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Green Legacy Initiative and its crucial role in environmental conservation and ecological restoration in Ethiopia.
As long as the country’s Green Legacy Initiative has been moving forward in the right direction, every Tom, Dick, and Harry should keep on covering degraded lands working hand in glove in conformity with the plan of the government. It is widely acknowledged that subsequent to the launching of the Green Legacy Initiative, the country’s forest coverage had decreased significantly. However, due to the promising strides of the initiative, Ethiopia through the passage of time ended up accomplishing its intended target at the earliest moment through planting billons of trees.
Since the inception of the initiative, the country has successfully planted a very large amount of trees and has sustained boosting its forest coverage, enhancing the economic efficiency of agriculture and other related aspects.
Because of the positive strides registered in the Green Legacy Initiative, various nations worldwide have embarked on following in Ethiopia’s footsteps standing in concert with everyone with a focus on bringing benefits to conservation of the environment, economic growth, and other similar things.
The enthusiasm generated is truly unbelievable. Anything that is espoused by high government officials has always a better chance of implementation. No leader of this country has ever been as engaged in tree planting as Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed (PhD). It is a historical opportunity to seize, according to an article.
There are many reasons why this campaign is important. The first of these is the fact that it has increased people’s awareness on the benefits of environmental protection and tree planting. The motivation, gusto and interest observed, especially in the young has been phenomenal. We have seen people taking responsibility and planting tree seedlings in thousands in areas designated and provided by authorities.
The most critical point is bringing home the realization that Ethiopian’s development is strongly dependent on what we do to protect our forests and afforest our degraded landscapes. The survival of our dams, including especially the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, is inseparably tied to sustainable land management of the river basins.
The Green Legacy Initiative is a nationwide environmental protection program and its main objective is to increase Ethiopia’s forest cover, strengthen the fight against climate change, promote sustainable development and what have you.
In the light of the positive moves blossoming in every corner of the country, the people of Ethiopia should sustain working hand in glove with the federal government more than ever before. In doing so, the country can continue making the impossible possible and the unthinkable thinkable on the world stage at the earliest possible time. In this manner, accomplishing the desired goal will be as easy as taking candy from a baby and shelling peas.
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 4 FEBRUARY