ADDIS ABABA – The Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction announced that it is set to plant 760,000,000 mostly indigenous trees in 2056 urban centers throughout the country next month.
Lakew Tebeje, Communication Director at the Ministry told The Ethiopian Herald that the Ministry has set this ambitious plan as part of the country’s climate-resilient green economy strategy and the national plan to create a safe urban environment.
Back in May, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially launched the national 4 billion trees planting project by bedding a sapling. The initiative is set to mobilize national reforestation at 40 trees per head. More than four billion trees slated are expected to be planted in the summer and Ministerial committee led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been established to facilitate the initiative of planting of tree seedlings.
Lakew said that as the green economy is fundamentally paramount to prevent ecocide and sustain the natural habitat, the country has given due emphasis to planting trees and promote afforestation and reforestation. Accordingly, Ethiopia has set the ambitious plan to plant 200 million saplings in 12 hours in the coming July 29-2019.
Besides the national planting program, the government has also given special attention to the urban plantation as part of urban dynamism and the pursuit to build comprehensive metropolitan cities.
Hence, as per the advice of experts, the plantation will be conducted in selected places such as recreational centers, condominiums, riversides, sports centers, cemeteries and religious institutes among others in Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and SSNP states.
Hawassa, Bahir Dar, Adama, and Bishoftu can be taken as instances of sensuous beauty and have gone a great distance in planting trees, Lakew added. Ethiopia has put forth its strategy for developing a climate‐resilient green economy and become a middle-income country by 2025.
The climate‐resilient green economic strategy for Ethiopia demonstrates the commitment of Ethiopia to bypass the conventional approach to economic development and create a green economy where economic development goals are met in a sustainable way.
The Ethiopian Herald, July 18/2011
BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU
