ADDIS ABABA –The Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) is significantly contributing to regional, continental, and global climate change mitigation efforts, the Ethiopian Forest Development (EFD) announced.
As part of the ongoing GLI forestry program, the EFD planted 5,000 seedlings of local juniper and olive varieties yesterday at the Chaka Project site.
In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, EFD Director General Kebede Yemam said the GLI is playing a crucial role in promoting sustainable economic development.
He emphasized that the millions of seedlings planted annually in Ethiopia are significantly enhancing agricultural productivity and forest coverage, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Kebede stated that the GLI is contributing to climate change mitigation at multiple levels — regional, continental, and global. Ethiopia has committed to restoring approximately 22 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. On a continental scale, Africa aims to restore 100 million hectares of land, he added.
He noted that the benefits of the initiative are multifaceted, extending beyond Ethiopia to neighboring countries and the global community. Additionally, it supports irrigation expansion, boosts agricultural production and forest coverage, and helps reduce deforestation, according to the Director General.
Kebede further explained that the GLI has been playing an irreplaceable role in ensuring sustainable economic development by increasing agricultural productivity and expanding forest cover.
He added that the initiative aims to protect soil, develop water resources and capacity, boost production and productivity, attract tourists, and more.
All of this contributes to building a robust economy, which is essential to safeguarding national sovereignty, because in this century, a strong economy means power, he remarked. The productivity of industries, agriculture, and other sectors cannot be considered without this initiative.
For his part, EFD Forest Transformation Sector Program Coordinator Alemayhu Negasa (PhD) stated that the organization plans to plant 100,000 forest seedlings during this summer season.
So far, over 50,000 saplings have already been planted, he added.
BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 16, July 2025
