PM Abiy Officially Launches This Year's Green Legacy

Addis Ababa June 21/2022 /ENA/ Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has officially launched the green legacy campaign of this year at Gulele Botany Center in Addis Ababa today.

The campaign launched in the presence of former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamet, senior federal and regional government officials, ambassadors, religious leaders among others.

The nation has planned to plant some 6 billion seedlings this rainy season as part of its Green Legacy Initiative under the theme: "Planting Our Print for Future Generations"

It is to be recalled that Ethiopia’s National Green Legacy Campaign was initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019 with a view to combating the challenges of food insecurity by preventing land degradation.

The plan was to plant 20 billion seedlings in four consecutive years. Over the past three years the country has managed to plant 18 billion seedlings.

This year marks the end of the implementation period of the initiative.

It is expected to surpass its goal of planting 20 billion tree seedlings this summer as the nation planned to plant some 6 billion trees.

The average survival rate of seedlings planted in the last three years is said to be more than 80 percent.

Prime Minister Abiy said in his statement in connection to the launch of this year’s campaign, Green Legacy as a movement has been instrumental in creating public awareness, thereby leading to significant decline in the rate of deforestation over the past couple of years.

Ethiopia is gravely affected by the consequences of climate change and is considered a climate vulnerable country, he mentioned, adding “our immediate and practical approach to addressing climate change, is the Green Legacy Initiative.”

“While literally sowing the seeds today, we have no doubt these seeds will bear fruit across generations and contribute to reducing carbon emissions, decreasing water and air pollution, increasing rains in dry areas and preventing flooding and landslides,” Abiy stressed.