Ethiopia-Forest-Conservation Ethiopia set to break world record by planting 200m tree saplings

The national 4-billion tree planting project officially launched by

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on May 26, 2019 is set to mobilize national

reforestation programme of planting 40 tree seedlings per head.



According to the source from the Forest Monitor and EcoWatch, the central

Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has set a new world record after 1.5

million volunteers planted more than 66 million tree saplings in just

12 hours along the Narmada River on July 2, 2017.



Now Ethiopia is working on planting 200 million tree saplings in a

single day, surpassing the record set by India two years before.



Agro-forestry and Land Use Expert, at The Horn of Africa Regional

Environmental Centre and Network, Dr. Azene Bekele, said the planting

tree project initiated by Premier Abiy was a role model for others and

could mobilize the community for forestation, which has recently been

ignored by the government.



“The Prime Minister’s initiation on planting 200 million seedlings a

day and the four billion trees planting campaign in this summer

generally embarks on mobilization for forestation,” he said.



Only this year, the 4 billion tree planting project will cover the

country’s 2.3 percent area by forest, he indicated.



Azene stated that if Ethiopia continues to maintain the momentum of

the project, the country’s 23 percent land will be covered with trees, while

saving $390 million per annum, which the country spends

to import forest products.



“Ethiopia has tremendous potential for afforestation as plants grow

throughout the year. Hence, the country can save $390 million for

importing forest products and able to export and earn foreign currency

beyond fulfilling the domestic demand,” he added.

Beyond the economic importance, the project would help to mitigate the

impacts of climate change as Ethiopia is one the most vulnerable

countries, he stated.



After planting, however, he said there should be a follow-up care and

conservation by experts and other stakeholders to achieve the goal of

the national project.



Ethiopia ranks third in planting trees since 2006 of the Billion Tree

Campaign, which was launched by the United Nations Environment

Programme (UNEP) in response to the challenges of global warming,

as well as to a wider array of sustainability challenges from water supply

to biodiversity loss.



Ethiopia’s 200 million trees planting on Monday will be conducted

throughout the nine regional states and the two city administrations

of the country.



The 4 billion trees planting project was launched amid the Ethiopian

government's call to promote reforestation efforts, and eventually

bring an end to the rising deforestation, which the Ethiopian

government frequently labeled as "a daunting challenge" to the

country's green economy strategy.



"Nationwide monitoring of planted seedlings will be conducted to

ensure that the planted trees would be grown," Ethiopian Minister of

Agriculture, Umar Hussen, said on Thursday.



"This will continue even in the future to identify the success rate of

the planted seedlings in a bid to promote those who nurtured the

planted seedlings as articulated through the national initiative," the

agriculture minister added.



Noting the government-led reforestation initiative as a "critical

imputes" for Ethiopia's aspiration towards green economy, Hussen also

said that the country "had lost billions of trees and forest resources

over the past decades".







MG/GIK/APA