ADDIS ABABA- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MEFCC) said it has been implementing various strategies to achieve the country’s plan of restoring 22 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
Besides the ongoing massive tree plantation campaign which started back in May, the Ministry said, the other strategies include preservation of existing forests and basin development.
Dr. Yitebtu Moges, Red+ Program Coordinator at MEFCC told The Ethiopian Herald that the existing forest coverage in Ethiopia is 17.2 million hectares. “By increasing this to 39.2 million hectares, we are working to reach 30 percent forest coverage by 2030,” he said.
The task of forestry development is not left to a single institution or ministry, as its success totally relies on the active involvement of local communities, he added. MEFCC is also currently working with the Ministries of Agriculture, Innovation and Technology, Urban Development and Construction to properly execute the plan, he added.
“As integrated work is essential to recover damaged land, it should be part of every governmental and non-governmental organization’s strategy to swiftly accelerate the restoration process.”
As to him, the government not only aims to increase forest coverage and restore degraded forests but also to enhance the role of forestry in agricultural production, food supply and nutritional security, water and energy development, job creation, and household income improvement.
Yitebtu also said that forestry development is the pillar of the country’s prosperity as it is the base for agriculture, clean environment rainfall, as well as water, renewable energy, irrigation, tourism, and sustainable development.
Understanding this reality, Ethiopians have shown their unwavering commitment to the National Green Legacy campaign recently. “If this commitment continues, and if it is not a one-time campaign, it will play a significant role in restoring the damaged land in the country,” he said.
The Ethiopian Herald, August 15/2019
ESSEYE MENGISTE
