Ethiopia’s highly climate-sensitive economy and low adaptive capacity make it among the most vulnerable to climate change. Furthermore, the intersection of land management, rights, and use is a key development issue for millions of rural Ethiopians facing water, food, land tenure and livelihood insecurities.
In the earlier times, Ethiopia has potentially been a country blessed with natural resources including some that are endemic to it and found nowhere else in the world. In the late 19th century, about 30 percent of landscape was covered by forest, all in all by indigenous trees.
Clearing of land for agricultural use and the cutting of trees for fuel, and ever-expanding urbanization have gradually changed the scenery, and today forest areas have dwindled to less than four percent of nation’s total land.
With such marked environmental changes, the nation has continued to suffer from the adverse impact of climate change especially drought though the country’s contribution to global warming has always been none.
Understanding the seriousness of the problem, the government of Ethiopia has taken various measures to reverse the negative effects. Above all, it has come up with a Climate Resilient Green Economic (CRGE) plan with a vision of achieving middle-income status by 2025.
As set forth in the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), reaching this goal will require boosting agricultural productivity, strengthening the industrial base, and fostering export growth. Ethiopia’s ambition to become a “green economy front-runner” is an expression of its potential for and belief in a sustainable model of growth.
Planting trees will not solve all the world’s pollution and climate issues, but it is something tangible that Ethiopia can make a big difference through afforestation. As a result, the world has acknowledged the notable achievements the country has recorded over the past years.
Since Abiy Ahmed took power, the nation has continued to give prior attention to tree plantations. The premier recently has launched a project of planting four billion trees which is equivalent to 40 per percent across the country to fight deforestation.
The ambitious campaign is an effort to improve life both in rural lands and urban areas. As the prime minister pointed out while planting the first seedling in the campaign, the trees would help to “transform our degraded environments for healthy lives and functional ecosystems.”
The campaign would help to cover one million hectares of land with forest as per the plan of the Second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II). Some three billion seedlings are currently being generated in nurseries by the state while the remaining being developed in private nurseries.
In order to hit the set target, many government and private institutions, the public at large including diplomatic communities are now planting seedlings.
Forest experts have to lead the national tree planting campaign, Forest and Climate Change Commissioner said.
The worldwide damages that have been manifested on forestry have resulted in affecting the socioeconomic aspects of Ethiopia as well, Forest and Climate Commissioner Fekadu Beyene said.
Integrated works with all stakeholders are critical to resist such damages at national and international level; he said adding this is the time to apply such efforts in the sector which is receiving special treatment by the government.
“As experts in the sector, we have to make the much-needed contribution and lead the campaign as models, practically applying our enormous experiences and knowledge,” the commissioner pointed out.
Ethiopia’s Climate-Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy and the current campaign underway to plant 4 billion seedlings at the national level could be taken as huge opportunity to realize the target to increase the national forest coverage to 20 percent, the commissioner said.
Creating awareness among the society and utilizing the experiences on the ground is, therefore, critical to realize the long-term ambition, apart from contributing to professional responsibilities. The commission is committed to collaborating with Ethiopian Forestry Society and other stakeholders to support the ongoing campaign and increase the forest coverage of the country.
According to Tatek Dejene Ethiopian Forestry Society President, replicating best practices and applying them to realize the ongoing campaign is critically imperative. The general public along with experts, government officials and other stakeholders should be part of the historic national campaign. In addition, as the campaign has an impact on the global effort to combat climate change, a lot is expected from the international community in supporting Ethiopia’s tree-planting initiative.
The Ethiopian Herald July 25/2019
BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW
