Addis Ababa June 02/2023 (ENA) More than 902,000 hectares of land is readied for planting tree seedlings this Ethiopian rainy season, according to Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD). Ethiopia has managed to plant 25 billion seedlings in the past 4 years through the Green Legacy Initiative. EFD Deputy Director General Motuma Tolera told ENA that the comprehensive activity carried out through the initiative is a successful project that has mobilized massive public participation like the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).   He noted that planting trees is not a matter of choice but survival for Ethiopians because unless millions of seedlings are not planted every year, we will be exposed to serious dangers caused by climate change. "The Green Legacy Initiative is not a matter of choice as most of our mountain areas are being severely degraded," the deputy director general said, adding that recent studies show that millions of hectares of land are also going to deteriorate unless they are quickly covered with trees. There is a lot of soil erosion." According to him, over 7 billion seedlings are prepared so far to plant more than 6.5 billion tree seedlings.   For this reason, the tree seedlings are readied for planting after research was conducted to identify what kind of saplings to plant, in what kind of environment, and what kind of soil. Subsequently, over 902,000 hectares of land is prepared for planting seedlings. Motuma added that the community's participation has been improving from time to time in seed selection, planting, and caring for the trees. More than 250 million saplings were planted in Oromia, Sidama, South, SouthWest Ethiopia regions, and Dre Dawa City Administration during this belg season.                      

Addis Ababa June 2/2023(ENA) Sustainable management and utilization of biodiversity is a crucial step for Africa in order to realize the seventh goal of Agenda 2063, AU Commissioner Albert Muchanga said. In his speech at the conclusion of the AU, Caribbean and Pacific High-level Conference on Biodiversity, he pointed out that the conference is vital to the agenda of the continent as it aims to protect its biodiversity and ecosystem, and defines ways and mechanisms to domesticate the global frameworks and resolutions taking into account Africa’s realities. In this connection, conserving biodiversity for Africa should not be an option but rather a vital necessity, he added. According to the Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals Commissioner, “the draft African Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan is our new vehicle for addressing the triple crisis of biodiversity losses, adverse impacts of climate change and disasters in ecosystem resilience.” Ministerial Segment Chairperson and Botswana’s Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism Minister, Philda Kereng said biodiversity is vital for the cultural heritages of Africans, and it is a cornerstone of the economies. “Losing biodiversity threatens our existence and civilization and progress and livelihoods. As a continent, this is a risk that we cannot afford. Unless we are all aware, the environment has its own harsh way of responding to abusive actions of humans and other actors.” Africa is endowed with vast natural wealth and cultural heritage, intricately connected to its ecosystems. Despite the rich and varied natural endowment, the continent is not immune to the threats posed by the erosion of biodiversity, the impacts of climate change and the emergence of global health crisis, according to the minister. She further noted that “if we continue on the current trend and continue not to make enough progress with our meetings and our dialogues and our program delivers, we risk losing about 50 percent of the bird and mammal species by 2100 and about 20 to 30 percent of the productivity of our leads, and mainly due to pollution, habitat fragmentation and others.” As leaders, we have a duty to ensure that we preserve the benefits for future generations. This will involve a multifaceted and multi-stakeholder approach. Kereng stated that it should also cover transboundary efforts, including at continental sub regional levels as well. Furthermore, we need to harness the collective strength of our commitment to speak as one. “We always talk about one Africa voice; but here I wish that we can be able to put more attention on to how we can actually effectively build this voice as a process.”        

Addis Ababa May 31/2023 (ENA)The Green Legacy, which enhances biodiversity side by side with economic activities, is an interesting example for Africans, the Economic Commission for Africa Technology, Climate Change, and Natural Resources Director said. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Technology, Climate Change, and Natural Resources Director, Jean-Paul Adam told ENA that the Green Legacy program that Ethiopia has been undertaking side by side with other economic activities, such as growing coffee, which provides jobs and improves livelihood not only contributes to the protection of biodiversity but also to the economy. “There are some interesting examples in Ethiopia, where you have the Green Legacy, which protects the natural environment; and it happens side by side with economic activities,” he said, adding that the “growing of coffee (for example) provides jobs and which improve livelihoods.” According to him, it's very important that these types of planting are done in a way that enhances biodiversity; and this means properly choosing the type of plants and also looking at the impact of this planting on the environment. For instance, the country is considering how the plantation can address the issue of water retention, he noted. Indigenous saplings friendly to the environment and seedlings that boost agricultural yields have been increased during the Green Legacy plantation campaigns, it was learned. UNECA has been providing technical support to Ethiopia’s works to protect biodiversity. Adam pointed out that “Ethiopia is already doing a program that is very vast and which has a very big impact, and we are supporting simply to provide technical expertise to ensure that you are getting the right results.” The country is also doing a successful program for building back better post-COVID-19 in terms of launching a biodiversity green initiative to promote the sustainable management of catchment areas in critical energy infrastructure zones by deploying nature-based solutions. The Green Legacy Initiative which protects biodiversity side by side with economic activities that benefit the people through job creation and improving livelihood is an interesting example for Africans. The director believes that biodiversity is one of the most important elements for African countries to realize economic transformation. However, it is being exploited, extracted, or made use of without benefiting enough of the population, according to Adam. “So having the right frameworks on the protection of biodiversity can allow us to develop economic activities that protect the biodiversity, while also delivering improvements in job creation and livelihoods.” The director advises countries to maximize their income from different sectors, including ecotourism, by developing sustainable value chains in agriculture. African countries should also have strategies for better coordination in implementing the Convention on Biodiversity and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna in a way that also improves their economic opportunities.

Addis Ababa May 30/2023(ENA):- A four-day high-level conference on biodiversity kicked off at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa today. Speaking on the occasion, Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy (SEBE) Director Harsen Nyambe said biodiversity is critical to many sectors and livelihoods of local societies in Africa.   However, local communities are not benefiting from biodiversity and there are also challenges of climate change trends and unsustainable use of biodiversity which need to be addressed, he added. “As a continent, we need to domesticate the outcome of the Montreal CBD COP15. But at the same time, we would want to make sure that we reconcile that with the outcome of the CITES COP 19.” CITES is one of the conventions that divided the continent despite the resolutions of the Head of States that call for unity and one voice. “We are therefore hopeful, during these four days, that we will be able to come up with some wisdom on how we can be able to chart a way forward and make sure that we are able to have a united voice of Africa when it comes to matters of CITES,” the director said. The CITES CoP is where governments (CITES parties) around the world convene every two to three years to review and make decisions on the regulation of trade in endangered species. A number of frameworks have been put in place for nature based solutions, sustainable forest management and to combat illegal trade of wild fauna and flora. “We are hoping that all of these frameworks will be able to make a contribution to the strategy as well as the action plan that we are actually going to develop during the coming days.” During the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP15) held in December 2022 in Montreal, Canada, governments from around the world came together to agree on a new set of goals to guide global action through 2030 to halt and reverse nature loss.  

Addis Ababa May 25/2023 (ENA) ፡Forging innovative partnership with research institutions is crucial to transform agriculture through building resilience to climate change, according to the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR). A conference on building livelihood and resilience of small holder farmers by changing the climate in Ethiopia opened here in Addis Ababa today. Speaking on the occasion, Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR) Regional Director Numukolo Covic said the conference will address the need to use and adopt production practices to contribute and enhance natural resource management that would safeguard food security and nutrition for our future generation. According to her, natural resources management is a very important aspect of agricultural development as it enables small holder farmers to generate adequate income from their farming for livelihood. Smallholder farmers do not face individual challenges at a time; they face multiple challenges often concurrently and sometimes one after the other, she added. We, therefore, need to limit shocks from frequent drought and floods and bundle innovations from different partners to deliver to farm households. “All our agricultural production efforts in anywhere in the country and in the world are taking place in the context of a growing climate crisis for which we need not just accurate forecasting but timely action to limit the shocks where possible.” Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute Director-General, Mandefro Nigusse highlighted the importance of agriculture to this country in terms of food nutrition and security, job creation, foreign currency generation, and as raw material in the ever growing industrialization. This meeting is part of shaping Ethiopian agriculture for greater impact and also contributing to counteract these challenges, and the contribution of the scientific community in CGAIR is huge. He noted that agricultural transformation is not just about production but it takes into consideration the entire value chain, and Ethiopian food system transformation is even bigger than the agricultural transformation. Appreciating the contribution of research and development partners and donors, the director-general stated that there is still a long way to go “and we need stronger collaboration not just in drought affected Ethiopia and the entire Africa but also the globe.”   World Bank Agriculture and Food Global Director, Martien Van Nieuwkoop said on his part that our vision is to support agriculture and food system on how to help people and economy. Climate smart agriculture is really high priority for the Bank in Ethiopia, he pointed out, adding that it has put 1.5 billion USD in financing various programs for Ethiopia in major food system resilience project, building climate resilience in agriculture. We are active in the lowland livelihood resilience projects, livestock and aquaculture, and we are also working very closely with CGAIR, the director stated. The one-day conference aims to accelerate the integration of Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR) and its national and international partners to improve livelihood and build agri-food system resilience and adaptive capacity to changing climate.

Addis Ababa May 24/2023 (ENA) IGAD’S Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) today announced that the June to September, 2023 forecast shows high chances of drier than usual conditions across the northern parts of the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA). Accordingly, Djibouti, Eritrea, central and northern Ethiopia, western Kenya, northern Uganda, and much of South Sudan and Sudan are expected to receive insufficient rainfall until the end of the season. ICPAC’s analysis also indicates an increased likelihood of warmer than usual conditions over the entire region, particularly over northern Sudan, parts of southern and central to western Ethiopia, central and northern Kenya, central and northern Somalia, and coastal parts of Tanzania. The June to September rainfall season is particularly important for the northern regions of the GHA, where it contributes to more than 50 percent of the annual total rainfall. ICPAC Director, Guleid Artan called for heightened vigilance “as the conditions we forecast could very well increase food insecurity in the region. Depressed rainfall, coupled with warmer than usual temperatures, are likely to affect crop productivity, with the risk of crop wilting and a hastened decline in pasture and water availability." He appealed to IGAD’s partners to “stay mobilized and continue to respond to the crisis where 49 million people are still highly-food insecure in the IGAD region.” In most parts of the region, above average rainfall was recorded during the March to May, 2023 season, bringing some respite to the communities most affected by five consecutive failed rainfall seasons in parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. “It is now very likely that we will transition from La Niña to El Niño between July and September”, explained Hussen Seid, Climate Modelling Expert at ICPAC. “At this stage, there is no indication of the strength or duration of El Niño, but in general it is associated with depressed rainfall between June and September in the north of the region and wetter conditions between October and December in the equatorial parts. So, we must get prepared for much wetter weather towards the end of the year. We encourage our users to consult our weekly and monthly updates that have a high degree of predictability." ICPAC is a designated Regional Climate Centre by the World Meteorological Organization. Its seasonal forecast is based on an analysis of several global climate model predictions customized for the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA). The 64th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF64) was convened as a hybrid event on 24th May 2023 by ICPAC in collaboration with the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in the region and other partners to issue the June - September 2023 seasonal forecast. The forum brought together climate services providers and users from key socio-economic sectors, governmental and non-governmental organizations, decision-makers, climate scientists, and civil society stakeholders, among others, to discuss impacts and mitigation measures for the upcoming season.

Addis Ababa May 23/2023 (ENA) Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said, as part of the fifth year of the Green Legacy Initiative, seedling preparations are underway to plant 6.5 billion saplings this year. Ethiopia will continue planting billions of tree seedlings, for the fifth consecutive year in the coming rainy seasons, as part of the Green Legacy program, initiated by the Prime Minister. "In our fifth year of the Green Legacy Initiative, seedling preparations are underway to enable the 6.5billion that we will plant collectively this year,” Abiy said. “The share of seedlings for fruit trees is also substantially higher this year,” he noted. It is to be recalled that Ethiopians have planted 25 billion saplings under the Green Legacy program initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the past four years.

Addis Ababa May 22/2023(ENA): The Ethiopian Metrology Institute carrying out activities with a view to become Africa’s top metrology Institute within the coming three years, the Director General of the institute, Abdu Abagibe said. Speaking with ENA today, the director general said the institute has now member of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). According to him, the institute has been certified by the BIPM with six additional measurement standards including temperature, density, and electrical measurements. In a bid to strengthen the activities and laboratories of the Ethiopian Metrology Institute, six modern facilities are under construction, he said. The institute is expecting to receive 14.3 million USD worth of modern quality measurement instruments from the World Bank, Abdu stated. The support coupled with quality measurement instruments that the institute already secured will significantly improve all of its laboratories, including laboratories of mechanical metrology, mass, volume, density and pressure, which are under construction. The Institute carrying out activities with a view to become Africa’s top metrology Institute within the coming three years, the Director General said. Quality standards are the basis of all civilizations, Abdu said. "Therefore, strengthening our capacity for quality measurements will have a significant impact on Ethiopia’s development endeavor as it addresses internationally needed quality measurement issues," the director general added. Meanwhile, the institute has today celebrated World Metrology Day, under the theme "Measurement for the Global Food System" to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Meter Convention in 1875. Speaking at the event, the director general said the use of accurate measurement is important in medicine, agriculture, business and other sectors. He emphasized the need for accurate measurements to maintain international standards for all our products.  

Addis Ababa May 13/2023(ENA) The French government is committed to be partner of the Ethiopian government for the implementation of the Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS), French Ambassador to Ethiopia, Rémi Maréchaux said. It is to be recalled that the government of Ethiopia officially launched Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) this week with the view to overcoming climate change related challenges. The overarching objective of Ethiopia's LT-LEDS strategy is to help the government of Ethiopia pursue a green growth pathway by keeping its carbon emissions target to net zero by 2050 entailing an increased climate resilience and delivery of multiple economic and social benefits. The strategy is a key tool in bridging Ethiopia’s sustainable development and climate mitigation and adaptation objective, following a holistic long term planning approach, it is indicated. In an exclusive interview with ENA, French Ambassador to Ethiopia, Rémi Maréchaux said we have supported the drafting of this strategy and now we intent to be partner of the Ethiopian government for the implementation of the strategy. He added that the efforts of the Ethiopian government are very important and we are pleased and proud to be able to support the launch of this LD-LEDS strategy that was conducted by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI ) with the funding of French government. “Soon after the Paris conference on climate change and the Paris agreement, Ethiopia was one of the first countries in the world to adopt its national determined contributions strategy. It is important now to develop in detail this strategy though different scenarios and different priorities,” he said. According to the ambassador, the priority of this study is critical regarding the continuation of the effort to reforestation, so that is one aspect and also the development of electricity for many uses to substitute other sources of energy and then improvement of the efficiency of agriculture sector. "What is important today is just to acknowledge that Ethiopia is one of the least emission countries with a good energy mix and a lot of renewable energy. It doesn’t mean that in the future, they can be risk depending on the development strategy to see carbon dioxide emissions." He noted that the strategy is clear and it is important to have engagement of all for its implementation. The strategy outlines the priorities for attracting international and private sector financing for green, low-carbon and climate-resilient projects over the near and long term. The Ethiopian LT-LEDS development process was led by the ministry of planning and development. The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), an international, intergovernmental organization championing the causes of climate change. Green growth and inclusive development provided technical assistance with the fund secured from the Agence Francaise de Development (AFD). Ethiopia's LT-LEDS is well aligned with the national long term development objectives and initiatives including the10 year prospective development plans of the country. When the LT-LEDS is fully implemented, Ethiopia’s GDP will increase by 66 percent compared to the current growth in the coming 35 years.   For Ethiopia, reaching the net-zero emission targets in 2050, the total investment requirements of the LT-LEDS actions is estimated to be at least around 157 billion USD, Ministry of Finance Said.  

Addis Ababa, May 11/ 2023 (ENA): Ethiopia is carrying out multi-dollar investments in renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions, Finance Minister Ahmed Shide said. Speaking at a panel discussion organized at the launch of the Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy today, Finance Minister Ahmed Shide said Ethiopia’s LT-LEDS strategy is very timely and it would help to further strengthen ongoing development activities. He added that the government has actively worked to deal with the impact of climate change, activating climate policy and green development strategy. He explained that the Green Legacy Initiatives (GLI) is part of this and Ethiopia has been giving attention to climate change and made massive activities in reducing carbon emissions. Over the past 14 years, Ethiopia has directly mobilized one billion USD for climate-specific issues, excluding other related multi-billion investments. “In the past years, we have invested a lot of resources from Ethiopia and carried out integrated operations related to climate change. It is something that the country is very proud of. For example, if we only look at renewable energy, various energy projects are being built and are providing services,” he said.   “This is carbon neutral energy, especially hydropower, and wind power. Now, since Public Private Partnership (PPP) investment is being done with solar, it means that we are doing multi-dollar investments,” he added. The Ethio-Djobuti railway is playing a crucial role in our efforts to mitigate climate change, he said adding that this is highly reducing carbon emission. We are working to introduce an electric bus and a huge investment is being carried out in landscape restoration by the government and partners which is also supportive of the initiative. Regarding innovative finance opportunities, the government is formulating favorable policies, for example, for investors who want to engage in renewable energy, policy space has already been operational to enable them to engage in energy generation through PPP. Compared to other countries, Ethiopia is relatively spearheading climate finance, climate investment, and climate governance. Investing in climate change is protecting the livelihood of our people, he said, adding that all what we need is to work together to mobilize resources and realize this ambitious plan. Ethiopia requires financial and technical support to implement the LT-LEDS and we request the international community for support. Regarding climate finance, global climate finance flow to Least Developing Countries is very low compared to their pledges. Developed countries have pledged to provide 100 billion US dollars per year in climate finance to developing countries through multilateral, bilateral, and other global funds, but the pledge was confirmed to have failed at the 26th Conference held in Glasgow, UK. According to the minister, the financial need to address global climate change is now growing and some 5.8 trillion USD is required. For Ethiopia, to reach the net-zero targets in 2050, the total investment requirements of the LT-LEDS actions are estimated to be at least around 157 billion USD, the minister said adding that this indicates that our development strategy needs to be integrated with climate change. The main climate interventions of the strategy include forestry, energy, livestock, agriculture, waste sector, and industrial products and process used, it was learned.    

Addis Ababa May 11/2023 (ENA)The Green Legacy Initiative and integrated natural resource development being implemented in Ethiopia are critical to the success of the country's Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS), Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Demeke Mekonnen said. The launching ceremony of Ethiopia’s LT-LEDS was held today in the presence of higher government officials, key development partners, funding agencies, diplomatic corps and climate change advocates among others. Speaking at the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen said climate change is changing its nature and expanding its scope, challenging the existence of human beings.   He pointed out that Ethiopia has experienced one of the worst droughts in the last 40 years, which has had a negative impact on its overall economic development. Demeke stated the fact that climate change continues to drastically affect the livelihoods of people by inducing drought and ecological imbalance, among others. Therefore, the government has actively participating in the international agreements and discussions to deal with the impact of climate change and activated the climate policy and green development strategy, he noted. Ethiopia’s projects such as the Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) and capitalising of renewable energy sources, which Ethiopia is endowed with, are part and parcel of the climate agenda, Demeke added. He said, through the GLI Ethiopia is conducting “Green Diplomacy” in East Africa and wants to further expand the engagement at continental level. “The green legacy initiative that has been implemented over the past four years with the active involvement and participation of the general public was one of the best achievements of Ethiopia. We have secured a lot of positive results. We have been making huge preparations to repeat this achievement in the upcoming rainy season too.”   Minister of Planning and Development, Fitsum Assefa said on her part that if implemented as designed, the LT-LEDS will benefit Ethiopia as 66 percent higher GDP will be ensured in 2050 compared to the business as usual and over 865 thousand additional green jobs will be created every year. She added that some 200 million tone of crop losses will be prevented and 41 billion USD average saving will be earned from energy costs among others. In general, she said it will help to ensure sustainable development and make Ethiopia and a symbol of Africa. The total investment requirements of the LT-LEDS actions estimated to be at least around 157 billion USD and Ethiopia requires financial and technical support to implement and requested the internal community for support. It is to be to be recalled that the government of Ethiopia showcased the LT-LEDS strategy at the COP27 hosted in Sharm El-sheikh, Egypt from November6-20 2022 in the presence of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.  

Addis Ababa May 11/2023(ENA):- Ethiopia is implementing Climate Resilience and Green Economy Strategy with a view to overcome climate change related challenges, Minister of Planning and Development, Fitsum Assefa said. The minister made the remark at the launching ceremony of Ethiopia’s Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) in the presence of senior federal and regional government officials, key development partners, funding agencies, diplomatic corps and climate change advocate and other invited guests today. She said during the occasion that the LT-LEDS firmly aligns with the national long term development objectives and initiatives including the10 year prospective development plans of Ethiopia, ( 2021-2030). Fisum stated that Ethiopia is, among few countries, which submitted its revised nationally determined contributions to the UN. The minister said climate change has been distorting the livelihoods of people across the globe noting that countries of the world are working to mitigate the challenges of climate change by reaching agreement to limit the amount of temperature not more than 1.2 degree centigrade. In this regard, Ethiopia is implementing Climate Resilience and Green Economy Strategy with a view to overcoming climate change related challenges, she added. Ethiopia has implemented more than 200 climate change rehabilitation projects. When the LT-LEDS is fully implemented, Ethiopia’s GDP will increase by 66 percent compared to the current growth in the coming 35 years. The minister said that Ethiopia is committed to work with partners in the implementation of the strategy. The problem of climate change and environmental pollution facing is not solved by single or few countries and organization; she said adding the launching of today's program showed Ethiopia’s commitment to climate change adaptation.    

Addis Ababa, May 3/2023 (ENA)The government of Ethiopia officially launched today its Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) in the presence of senior federal and regional government officials, key development partners, funding agencies, diplomatic corps, and climate change advocates and other invited guests. This was disclosed at a high-level launching ceremony, which is being underway at Friendship Park. Ethiopia's LT-LEDS has been developed in tune with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change adopted in 2015 which encouraged countries to provide an LT-LEDS, a roadmap for long-term decarbonization to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature. Accordingly, the country's revised and most ambitious National Determined Contributions to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, aims at an emission reduction target of 68.8 percent by 2030. The overarching objective of Ethiopia's LT-LEDS strategy is to help the government of Ethiopia to pursue a green growth pathway by keeping its carbon emissions target to net zero by 2050 entailing an increased climate resilience and delivery of multiple economic and social benefits. In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen said climate change negatively affects the livelihood of the people.   The multiple challenges including drought, flood, and other calamities witnessed over the years are due to the impact of climate change. He added that Ethiopia is implementing various green economy activities to withstand the challenges. The deputy prime minister and foreign minister said the efforts being underway to expand green diplomacy and launch in neighboring countries will continue at the continent level. He stressed that it’s high time to come together and exert maximum efforts to overcome the challenges and called on partners to support Ethiopia’s initiative.  

Addis Ababa April 12/2023/ENA/ Ethiopia has been preparing to plant 6.3 billion seedlings during the upcoming rainy season as part of the national green legacy initiatives, Agriculture State Minister, Professor Eyasu Elias disclose. The State Minister in charge of the Natural Resources Development Division, told the media today that the country has already prepared 5.4 billion seedlings. Out of the total 6.3 billion seedlings 45 are trees while the rest 55 percent are fruits, animal fodder, and other vital plans. Over the last four years, some 25 billion seedlings, including trees, fruit, and cattle feeds have been planted as part of the national Green Legacy Initiative, he said. The initiative launched in June of 2019 has been helping Ethiopia to building a green and climate resilient nation rehabilitating degraded land across the country. Tree planting has also been becoming a culture among Ethiopians as more than 30 million people participates every year in the tree planting activities, the state minister noted. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has received the Outstanding African Leadership Award for his Green Legacy initiative, designed to reforest the country and help the nation enhance its agricultural activities.

Addis Ababa, April 8/2023 (ENA) University presidents have called on the downstream countries of Abbay River to support Ethiopia’s green development efforts and sustain water flow of the river. Bahir Dar, Debre Markos and Gambella university presidents told the Ethiopian News Agency said that sticking to unreasonable issues would not help the downstream countries. Bahir Dar University President doctor Frew Tegegn said that his university has conducted extensive studies and research on natural resources conservation activities on Abbay River and Tana Basin for over ten years. Among the researches included the study on how to extend the lifespan of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) by three times by preventing sedimentation. The downstream countries should therefore assist Ethiopia in its Green Legacy initiative, a massive tree seedlings planting program, in order to prevent the impacts of climate change, the president underscored. Ethiopia’s green economy is also instrumental to ensuring a sustainable water flow in the lower riparian countries as the country is a major source of the Abbay, he added. “When I look at it rationally, they (the downstream countries) should (even) contribute to the construction of the Renaissance Dam and the environmental initiatives because the project has huge benefits to the basin countries, and there are professional, ethical and international experiences which say countries have to pay for the services they get in the future.” However, the president lamented that the countries are not helping the efforts of Ethiopia and its people. Instead, they create unnecessary disputes. Debre Markos University President, doctor Tafere Melaku stated on his part that adequate research activities have not been carried out considering the size of the watershed on Abbay River. According to him, although the downstream countries routinely undermine Ethiopia’s right to use and develop the river, their opposition has never been scientific. It is political, he noted. “The countries, which are criticizing Ethiopia for using the river to generate power from the very outset, should think of working together to ensure a sustainable flow of Abbay water,” the president underscored. As a result, natural resources conservation is not being carried out in Abbay basin and this will impact negatively on the flow of the river, Tafere elaborated. “To tell the truth, they have never thought that the water of Abbay River could disappear if sufficient environmental protection work is not done on it. This is the biggest and basic problem. If they (all the counties in the basin) work together and cultivate the natural resources in the basin, it will be possible to have water that is not only adequate for the riparian countries but also for others.” The president finally called on Ethiopian universities to jointly work researches on Abbay River basin with universities of the downstream and upstream countries. Gambella University President, Ojulu Okock said environmental and green development endeavors of Ethiopia have to be supported by the downstream countries since the country is the major contributor to Abbay River.   “Ethiopia is a major water supplier for the Nile River. Therefore, supporting the country's endeavors will ensure mutual benefits of all countries from the river.”      

Addis Ababa April 5/2023 (ENA) Ethiopia has all the potential of hydro, wind, solar, and geothermal to become an energy hub in the eastern Africa region, Renewable Energy Solutions for Africa (RES4Africa) Foundation Policy and Regulations Program Manager Andrea Renzulli said. In an exclusive interview with ENA, Renzulli said that RES4Africa is a Foundation that works in support of Africa’s energy transition in order to achieve the SDG7, ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all and the private sector investment. Millions of people in Ethiopia still lack access to electricity, he stated, and added “unfortunately, the level of investments is not yet appropriate for the needs of the country.” There is a need to expand not only the generation but also the infrastructure to provide universal electricity access to all but of course, Renzulli pointed out, and emphasized “with all the potential that Ethiopia has in terms of natural resources, the country has the ability to reach these targets and reach the time frame that the government has set.” “We can all agree about the huge potential. We all think about the hydro potential which is very important for the country but it is not only hydro, Ethiopia has already build few projects in the wind showing that there is also wind potential here. Solar Of course, geothermal, biomass, I mean, it is really a blessed country in terms of renewable energy potential,” the Policy and Regulations Program Manager elaborated. Renzulli stressed “Ethiopia has the potential to become an energy hub within the region.” The Government of Ethiopia has expressed clear intention to green growth and founding the strategy of the country on the principle of green growth and sustainability energies, he stated, and added “we have to support the institutions in achieving these targets.” Speaking of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) he said that the hydro potential presents a lot of opportunities for Ethiopia in terms of energy export. “So I think we all hope that the dam (GERD) can become vehicle of collaboration within the region. What we hope as citizen and I think Ethiopians who works here is that the dam can become a vehicle of better integration and better collaboration instead of a vehicle of confrontation,” he anticipated. He expressed hope that the dam could become a symbol of the socio-economic development of the country and the region more generally stating that countries in the region could also benefit from the potential of the dam. Renzulli has also commended Ethiopians for their unwavering support for GERD in terms of funding, public diplomacy, and technical aspects and also for sustaining important projects for socio-economic development of the country. “Ethiopia has the capacity and capabilities to become a great energy exporter within the region, which could benefit also the neighboring countries,” the manager underscored He has pointed out that Africa's hydropower resources in general hold considerable potential noting that these projects require a large initial investment. “I believe that today, Africa must continue to invest in hydroelectricity, but also diversify its supply and production networks,” he added.

Addis Ababa (ENA) March 10/2023 Ethiopian Airlines, the largest network operating carrier in Africa, has finalized preparations to launch direct flights to Karachi, Pakistan as of 01 May 2023. According to a press release of the Airlines issued on Thursday, the upcoming flight will be operated four times a week. Commenting on the resumption of services to Karachi, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, Mesfin Tasew said, “we are excited to return to Karachi nearly two decades after we last served the city. As the most populous city in Pakistan, Karachi will be a crucial gateway to Pakistan and the wider South Asia region. He added that as the only flight connecting Pakistan with Africa, the planned service to Karachi will have significant contribution in strengthening the diplomatic and economic relations between the two regions. It will also offer convenient air connectivity to the growing number of Pakistani investors in Africa as well as tourists, the CEO said. Karachi will be the 37th destination of Ethiopian Airlines in Asia. Currently, Ethiopian is serving more than 145 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations. Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy-six plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.    

Addis Ababa February 17/2013 /ENA/ Ethiopia is doing well in environmental protection and minimizing desertification through its Green Legacy of planting billions of trees, AU Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment Commissioner Ambassador Josefa Leonel Sacko said. In an exclusive interview with ENA, Commissioner Sacko commended Ethiopia’s Green Legacy initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. “I commend the government of Ethiopia that is doing so well in planting trees because it is very important. By planting trees we can minimize the desertification and we can also stimulate the rain and mitigate the effect of drought on the continent,” she applauded. Rooted in a vision of building a green and climate-resilient Ethiopia, the Green Legacy Initiative was launched in June 2019. A target of planting 20 billion seedlings within a period of four years was set. By the fourth year, Ethiopia has succeeded in planting 25 billion seedlings by mobilizing more than 20 million citizens throughout the nation. The Green Legacy Initiative is a demonstration of Ethiopia’s long-term commitment to a multifaceted response to the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation that encompasses agroforestry, forest sector development, greening and renewal of urban areas, and integrated water and soil resources management. AU Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment Commissioner urged African countries to follow suit and align their programs with African Union Commission as well. Speaking of Ethiopia’s wheat exporting with regard to food security, the Commissioner said that African countries should notice the essentiality of agriculture to secure food efficiency. “I commend Ethiopia for cultivating wheat and we know that there is a very good lesson for the countries and should follow the example of Ethiopia that have the ecological advantage to grow wheat in their countries,” Commissioner Sacko noted. Ethiopia is set to export 1.2 million quintals of wheat bumper harvest during this year, the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration announced last week.

Addis Ababa (ENA) February 16/2023 Ethiopia is doing well in environmental protection and minimizing desertification through its Green Legacy of planting billions of trees, AU Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment Commissioner Ambassador Josefa Leonel Sacko said. In an exclusive interview with ENA, Commissioner Sacko commended Ethiopia’s Green Legacy initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. “I commend the government of Ethiopia that is doing so well in planting trees because it is very important. By planting trees we can minimize the desertification and we can also stimulate the rain and mitigate the effect of drought on the continent,” she applauded. Rooted in a vision of building a green and climate-resilient Ethiopia, the Green Legacy Initiative was launched in June 2019. A target of planting 20 billion seedlings within a period of four years was set. By the fourth year, Ethiopia has succeeded in planting 25 billion seedlings by mobilizing more than 20 million citizens throughout the nation. The Green Legacy Initiative is a demonstration of Ethiopia’s long-term commitment to a multifaceted response to the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation that encompasses agroforestry, forest sector development, greening and renewal of urban areas, and integrated water and soil resources management. AU Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment Commissioner urged African countries to follow suit and align their programs with African Union Commission as well. Speaking of Ethiopia’s wheat exporting with regard to food security, the Commissioner said that African countries should notice the essentiality of agriculture to secure food efficiency. “I commend Ethiopia for cultivating wheat and we know that there is a very good lesson for the countries and should follow the example of Ethiopia that have the ecological advantage to grow wheat in their countries,” Commissioner Sacko noted. Ethiopia is set to export 1.2 million quintals of wheat bumper harvest during this year, the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration announced last week.

Addis Ababa /ENA/ February 13/2023 The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in collaboration with the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI) is holding its regional conference to enhance digital transformation of the hydrometeorological services in Africa. The use of modern digital technology has unexploited potential to offer through the value chain of climate services including in fields such as data collection, dissemination and personalization of services. Addressing the occasion, State Minister of Water and Energy Abraha Adugna said the information from meteorology and climate is basic parameters to achieve the nation’s ambitions in various fronts. Stating that lots of experiences will be shared among countries in the conference; he said “As Ethiopians, we will use those experiences for the next development plans.” “We are running a climate resilient green economy. That is one of the areas that we need information from climate and meteorology.” “For this and other purposes we need information from climate and meteorology. So the workshop will give the opportunity to get the good experiences from African countries as well as from other countries around the world.” WMO assistant Secretary General Wenjian Zhang said for his part African region permanent representatives meet together which they can address the challenges, and opportunities from their country’s perspective. For the assistant Secretary General, he expects the conference to promote further the partnership with regional key partners. The main objective of the conference is to strengthen observation network. Observation network is used to enhance and deliver meteorological and hydrological services, the Director General of Ethiopian Meteorological Institute Fetene Teshome said. He further stressed that the discussion mainly focuses on how can we strengthen the service delivery system in Africa. The 5 days conference will draw a strategic plan to enhance the capacities of hydrometeorological services in Africa and partnerships on infrastructural strength of national meteorological and hydrological services. Accordingly, the conference with the participation of global and regional experts and decision makers from Africa will discuss partnerships in enhancing communication in service delivery, capacity development, research and innovation and early warning in Africa. It is to be recalled that United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres had unveiled its early warnings for all: Executive action plan 2023–2027 that calls for a targeted investment of 3.1 billion USD at a high-level COP27 meeting in Egypt last November. It will cost the equivalent of just 50 cents per person per year for the next five years to reach everyone on Earth with early warnings against increasingly extreme and dangerous weather, World Meteorological Organization stated.