ADDIS ABABA– Tending forests nowadays allows the generation of additional foreign currency and the protection of the environment, disclosed Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission.
In concert with REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) the government is striving to generate better income and to protect the environment, as to the commission.
Yitebitu Moges (PhD) National REDD+ program Coordinator, within the Commission, told to The Ethiopian Herald that with the instrumentality of the REED+ program the country has been hard at work and as such it is achieving economic advantages and environmental protection.
The country is finalizing things to sign emission reduction contract agreement with World Bank soon. The project will be conducted on Oromia in the near future. It is a 50 million USD agreement. It will be achieved by protecting the available forests and arresting deforestation, he said.
Yitebitu added, the country is engaged in the task. And it has collected more than 150 million USD during the past three years. As to him, Carbon Trading or emission trading has come as per the Kyoto protocols. This system helps to control the emission. It controls world’s emission with market and trade system. The system has been well developed following Kyoto protocol. But developing countries cannot benefit enough. Rather, developed countries are seen enjoying advantages.
He added, Ethiopia has also been garnering some money from this market. And still it is involved in some movements on Carbon trading. But things are slackening following international agreements. So, the government now highly focuses on a related mechanism entitled REDD+. It can help the country secure Forex when it decreases emissions by decreasing deforestation. Via such mechanisms, it can generate money from developed countries through UN system, or bilateral agreement.
REDD+ is a system which can help the country get payment depending on performance rate of depositing carbon with the existing forests and new ones. A big movement to this effect is jump started in Oromia State. If the agreement is translated into action, the state can earn dollar as per the agreement with World Bank in ten-year time, the coordinator stated.
It is a model on which hope is vested on the global arena. Like Ethiopia, Indonesia, Colombia, Zambia are selected to start the ball rolling, he said. Webalem Tadesse (PhD) Higher Researcher within Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute said on his part that generally a forest wealth has a direct advantage for the country. On the other hand it has economic advantage as it serves a bargaining chip in negotiating the management of emission process.
The nation has signed agreements with international partners to generate foreign exchange. We are directly benefiting from developing forests and it is also supporting us regarding income, so it is our additional resource, he said.Webalem stressed, nonetheless it has not good experience on forestation in the country and there is a lot to be done to be more effective on the vast opportunity.
Yitebitu added, it is not only with World Bank the county is working, but also with Norway. It is aggressively working on the sector in Amhara, Tigray, Southern Nation and Nationality, Oromia and Gambela states.
By transplanting tree seedlings and tending them if we have positive effects in mitigating carbon, it can result in performance payment. It is not only the amount of money which inflows from outside but the country can be more profitable with the protection of forests. The forest resource can guarantee a financial bonanza in billions and trillions, Yitebitu stated.
He said the government highly focuses on REED+ program which encourages the country to embrace green development. The development of forests can augment water wealth, ensure agricultural productivity, protect dams, conserve ecosystems and totally build prosperity. So, the government will continue with the push to build a better country.
The Ethiopian Herald, Sunday Edition July 28/2019
BY GENET FEKADE
