- Addis aims to increase forest coverage by 30%
ADDIS ABABA – Addis Ababa City Administration Mayor Adanech Abiebie emphasized the importance of making Addis Ababa as appealing as its name and increasing its forest coverage to create a smart and comfortable city to live in.
Speaking at the event organized to officially launch this year’s ‘Green Legacy Initiative’ under the theme, ‘A Generation Lasting the Planting Nation,’ Mayor Adanech announced that over 20 million saplings will be planted this year, aiming to increase the city’s forest coverage by 30 percent within the next three years.
“We have planted seedlings to provide the next generation with a better Ethiopia. Such an invaluable and hallowed move must be the responsibility of every citizen across the nation,” she said. She noted that 58.2 million tree seedlings have been planted in recent years, achieving an 87% survival rate, and increasing the city’s forest coverage from 2.8% to 17%.
“It is our duty to make the capital green, attractive, and comfortable for living and working, which is why we are planting tree seedlings,” Adanech added. “We are not planting only for today but for tomorrow and the future. We have confidently witnessed the benefits of cooperation and collective action. We are planting to help Addis Ababa regain its green scenario it had upon its establishment.”
The Mayor stressed that nurturing the seedlings is essential for the initiative’s success. She called on citizens to plant tree seedlings in their surroundings and religious institutions this summer.
As part of this ongoing effort, 17.5 million tree seedlings were planted previously, and this year the goal is to plant 20 million. A number of individuals, officials, different political party members, and various segments of society attended the Green Legacy launching program, reinforcing the community’s commitment to the initiative.
BY MENGESHA AMARE
The Ethiopian Herald July 7/2024
