Last Monday, Ethiopians carried out a historic national trees planting program and in that specific single day alone, (in just 12 hours of July 29,2019) they have rewritten a new history by planting over 353 million tree saplings of different species across the country.
In this Green Legacy, which is part of the national four billion trees planting project initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia has blown the Guinness World Record held by India to date, which was about 66 million trees in just 12 hours.
The feat also greatly surpassed nation’s 200 million seedling target in a single day.
Decades have already elapsed since the world has learnt about global warming and the harsh consequences of climate change. At the same time, it has realized the critical importance of timely interventions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so as to mitigate the adverse effects of global warming. On top of this, among the others valuable ways, planting trees have recognized as the most climate change adaptation and mitigation mechanism because plants can significantly reduce the levels of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere.
Following this, many countries including Kenya and India, have devised afforestation policy and conducting massive tree plantation programs to increase their carbon credits and offset emissions.
Ethiopia, over the past few years as part of its Green Economy Policy and restore its degraded lands, has been transplanting various seedlings.
Following Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s a four billion seedling plantation project initiation in this rainy season, he launched on May 26, 2019, Ethiopia has so far planted billions of trees.0
As sources indicate, a great deal of Africa’s land is degraded heavily owing to manmade and natural reasons. Recognizing this, the African Union set an ambitious target to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
Ethiopia has already made a history by planting over 350 million tree seedlings in a single day. It has made its plan a real success smashing the World Record that was held by India, 66 million trees in just 12 hours.
The seedling plantation program is the other remarkable vital aspect in which Ethiopians have renewed their pledge, joined hands and acted in accordance to their words.
The success, apart from African countries which have the largest degraded forest landscapes that can be restored by transplantation; it can be a good model for the rest of world countries to curtail desertification and severe climatic conditions.
In fact, curbing deforestation cannot be overcome in overnight. However, as the saying goes- a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – global countries particularly African countries should have to follow the suit and strive to rehabilitate degraded lands by transplanting seedlings in order to ensure greener world.
The Ethiopian Herald July 31/2019
