ADDIS ABABA – Economic Commission for Africa’s Executive Secretary Vera Songwe lauded the tree planting efforts of Ethiopian government as part of the effort to attain the Sustainable Development Goal.
By greening the country, Ethiopia is leading the Continent in achieving SDG 15 to combat climate change, protect biodiversity and strengthen natural resources management, Songwe said adding that it is also doing so to increase overall productivity of both land oceans.”
She urged more countries to follow the footsteps of Ethiopia.
Officially launched by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in May, the nation-wide reforestation program, also popularly known as a green legacy, is aimed at recovering the trees and forests that have been lost over the years.
Representatives from UN family, ECA, African Union, Diplomatic Corps and Ethiopians from all walks of life gathered in Gulele Botanical Gardens in Addis Ababa and other parts of the country to play their part in supporting the initiative.
According to the ministry of agriculture, there will be continued monitoring and targeted efforts “to identify which seedlings have grown and been nourished by those who planted them; and where and which ones have died.”
The overall long-term target is four billion trees nationwide and according to the Ministry, most of the seedlings being planted are from indigenous tree species.
SDG- 15 stands for protecting, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
The Ethiopian Herald August 1/2019
BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW
