Addis Ababa, March 25/2024(ENA)- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed disclosed that seedlings are under preparation across Ethiopia for this year’s planting season as part of the Green Legacy Initiative. Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative is more than just planting; it is an integrated management of existing forests and biodiversity, the premier shared on X page. Prime Minister Abiy added that the Green Legacy Initiative is also crucial to restoring mass degraded landscapes and improving the ecosystem. “As we prepare for this year’s planting season ahead of us, seedlings are under preparation throughout the country,” Abiy stated. As part of the ambitious Green Legacy Initiative to plant 50 billion trees in two phases, Ethiopia successfully planted 32.5 billion seedlings to date. The initiative is a demonstration of Ethiopia’s long-term commitment to a multifaceted response to the impacts of climate change and environmental challenges, it was learned.      

Addis Ababa March 20/2024 (ENA) Sustainable and scientific environmental and natural resource protection works should be consolidated in order to ensure food security in Ethiopia, the environmental activist and expert Mengistu Wube noted. The environmental activist Mengistu Wube is a researcher and lecturer who has been publishing books and studies on food security. In an exclusive interview with ENA, he pointed out that Ethiopia has resources that could feed the region by exploiting its multi-ecological and bio-diversity potentials. In this respect, Mengistu said the Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) that Ethiopia has been implementing over the past years is of immense significance. For him, the initiative is a pragmatic response and has become imperative in ensuring soil security and water conservation. According to him, environmental conservation should be widely taught in schools beginning kindergarten and the role of institutions that are bases for indigenous knowledge must be consolidated. The activist noted that land protection and use policy are crucial for sustainable natural resource conservation, adding that soil and water conservation activities play a major role in ensuring food security. Man's cruelty to natural resources has created many crises on himself, the activist stressed. In addition to the effort to reverse the looming danger of climate change on food security, Mengistu underlined that pursuing a strategy that can withstand the unprecedented impacts of the change is critical. In this regard, the special attention given to wheat production and bounty of the basket (Ye Lemat Tirufat) programs by the government have lots of hope, the activist said. The Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) has so far planted over 25 billion tree seedlings.                

Addis Ababa March 1/2024 (ENA) Minister of Planning and Development, Fitsum Assefa addressed the 6th session of the UN environment Assembly (UNEA6) which is being held in Nairobi, Kenya from 26 Feb to 1 march 2024. In sideline of UNEA6, the Minister also engaged in a number of bilateral and Africa regional environmental events, according to Ministry of Planning and Development of Ethiopia. In her statement during the UNEA6 high level segment held today the minister informed the participants about the unwavering commitment of Ethiopia in addressing the triple planetary crises of our planet namely climate change and biodiversity loss. Fitsum shared Ethiopia’s successful achievements in addressing the aforementioned challenges through its Green Legacy initiative where it manages to plant 32.5 billion tree and other agroforestry seedlings in the last five years through mobilizing 25 million of its citizens annually since the launching of the initiative in 2019. The Minister also said that Ethiopia’s extended commitment for the unified voices of Africa in international environmental negotiations through her capacity of President of Africa Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) which will run for the 2024 and 2025.   Fitsum expressed her commitment to closely following up the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN) and to give necessary guidance to the group for a unified voice as a continent. In her afternoon engagement during the UNEA6 today Fitsum successfully convened the AMCEN bureau meeting as of her capacity of being AMCEN President. Outstanding issues were discussed and put forward on the next steps including deciding to convene AMCEN special session on land degradation, desertification and drought in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on 2-5 September 2024. The session also envisaged the preparations of Africa on UNCCD COP16 which is to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and other international engagements such as UNFCCC COP29. The Minister held bilateral meetings with representatives of Mauritania, Algeria, Morocco and Executive Secretary of UN Convention on Combating Desertification (UNCCD) and discussed outstanding bilateral agendas on her national capacity and being AMCEN President. In the respective bilateral meetings, the two parties agreed to closely work towards the common environmental agenda and enhancing the environmental protection agenda including through signing an MOU across different thematic areas.  

Addis Ababa February 27/2024(ENA) Ethiopia and Norway have signed a 75-million-USD agreement to reduce green gas emission from deforestation and forest degradation. The agreement was signed between Finance Minister Ahmed Shide and Norway Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen today. Speaking on the occasion, the finance minister said the agreement will enable Ethiopia to continue strengthening the work it is doing in forestry development and environmental protection. Fighting climate change and poverty reduction as well as building climate resilient economy disaster economy remain among the top priorities of the Ethiopia government, he added. According to him, the nationwide tree planting campaign under the Green Legacy Initiative by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is another manifestation of his commitment to addressing climate change. Ethiopia has invested over 82 billion USD in climate change mitigation and adaptation programs and the majority of the finance office projects and programs come from public finance supplemented with international development aid, Ahmed Shide stated. “The partnership agreement we signed today is yet another testimony of our successful collaboration and achievement during the past decade marks a new era of collaboration and partnership, including through resulted-based payment approach in the run to 2030." Ethiopia and Norway have enjoyed longstanding bilateral diplomatic relations, the minister explained, adding that their common interests include peace and security, migrate climate change, private sector development, gender equality among others. Norway Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen said the Green Legacy initiated by the government is ambitious plan to reduce adverse effect of climate change. The country has been a long standing partner of Ethiopia on climate and forest, he stated. "We were one of the first countries to fully commit our long term support for Ethiopia’s climate resilient green economy strategy when launched in Durban in 2011." And throughout this decade, Ethiopia has truly been a leader on the African continent when it comes to designing and implementing green economic development policies. Ethiopia is in many ways at the very front line of climate change, Climate and Environment Minister Eriksen noted. "I am encouraged to learn that Ethiopia has increased its forest cover due to strong government policy measures that yield the necessary results; and the ambitious target of doubling the forest cover by 2030 is very much impressive. And Norway is proud to have supported this achievement." The climate and environment minister added that Norway intends to support Ethiopia during this next phase of partnership, one which includes the continuation of the REDD+ investment program last year.

Addis Ababa February 27/2024(ENA) Ethiopia's tree planting initiative and the government's resolve to combat climate change is what the world exactly needs to avert current global challenges, a senior official at the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) underscored. Recalled that Ethiopians have embarked on an ambitious campaign of planting billions of trees every year in an effort to achieve a greener and cleaner environment and tackle the adverse effects of climate crisis. So far the country has planted more than 32.5 billion trees through the Green Legacy Initiative launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019. Deputy Director General and Head of Green Growth Planning and Implementation at GGGI Helena McLeod commended the efforts of the government to reduce impact of climate change and expressed keenness to work with Ethiopia. In an exclusive interview with ENA, Helena McLeod said that Ethiopia plays a leading role in Africa in terms of climate action and that is a role the country has been meeting for many years, and we're very happy to support the government on that. McLeod, who visited Ethiopia recently, also said that Ethiopia is one of the most beautiful countries she had visited in the world. Noting that the country has been suffering from climate change, she said the tree planting program is very significant in tackling these challenges as it creates jobs and increase the fertility of the soil. Moreover, she stated that the efforts being carried out in Ethiopia will also protect cities in the proper way from flooding. "Planting trees has many different advantages, including potentially biodiversity as well. So the tree planting program and the government's ambition is exactly what the world needs and it is leading in that sense," she said. According to the deputy director, Ethiopia, as a country before and now is not emitting very much carbon. There are other countries in the world that are emitting much larger amounts of carbon and have made commitments to reduce the amount of carbon emissions. "What we trying to do in GGGI is attract climate finance to our member countries," McLeod said, adding that often our member countries don't have enough money to tackle the major challenges that are facing the economy, but also they don't have enough capacity to take advantage of the opportunities. On green bonds for instance in 2021, the organization supported Peru to issue the largest sustainable green bonds in the world at that point in history. That was for over 4 billion US dollars. Since then GGGI is working with over 20 different countries on different types of bond, sustainability bonds and green bonds. “We're going to use that experience and bring it to Ethiopia to see whether that's a mechanism where we can bring in more investment to tackle climate change, and other issues like jobs, green jobs, that can also benefit the economy.” In terms of carbon trading, this is a really high potential area to bring in some additional funding into the country and GGGI works with Ethiopia to make sure that the trade is fair for the country and its interests. “I just want to say that Ethiopia is such an important country, it's a continent leader. It has a very strong global voice. Your government is very committed with very ambitious targets, including on restoration of land, increasing yield, increasing food security and exporting crops as well. We love working with the government and we will work hand in hand with the government and the people of Ethiopia on this green growth transition.” GGGI, an international organization focused on promoting sustainable economic growth in developing countries, has been working closely with Ethiopia since it became a founding member in 2012.

Addis Ababa February 21/2024 The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) has predicted that there will be a higher probability of wetter-than-normal conditions in the upcoming March to May 2024, across most parts of the Greater Horn of Africa. In its press release sent to ENA, ICPAC said that notably, the areas expected to experience these wetter conditions include Kenya, Somalia, southern Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and north-western Tanzania. The highest probabilities for wetter than usual conditions are indicated in central to western Kenya and in the cross-border areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. The expected enhanced rainfall is likely to positively impact agriculture, water resources, and overall livelihoods, according to the center. The press release also added that an early to normal rainfall onset is expected in several parts of the region. These include parts of northern Tanzania, eastern Rwanda, Southern and Western Uganda, Western Kenya, South-western Somalia, and parts of South-central Ethiopia. " Due to the increased rainfall recorded in the October to December 2023 period, along with the forecast of wetter-than-normal conditions from March to May, there is an elevated risk of flooding in areas prone to floods,” the ICPAC director Dr. Guleid Artan noted. The director added the forecast underscores the urgency for coordinated action and preparedness, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to mitigate potential impacts and capitalize on the opportunities presented by the forecast rainfall.   He also stressed the need for uniting in our commitment to leveraging climate information for resilient and sustainable development across our region. Artan further added that, “while the food security situation may improve with wetter than usual conditions, it is important to remember the multiple challenges faced by the region, including the historic 2020-2022 drought, conflict in various parts of the region such as Sudan, and the El Nino-induced floods at the end of 2023. This has weakened communities’ coping capacity, making them highly susceptible to food insecurity. The likelihood of flooding during the 2024 MAM season in parts of the region could lead to a deterioration in food security in localized areas.” The objective temperature forecast indicates an increased likelihood of warmer than normal surface temperatures over the entire region. Probabilities for warmer than normal temperatures are most enhanced over Sudan, northern South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and southern parts of Tanzania. In line with the World Meteorological Organization's guidelines and recommendations, ICPAC has adopted an objective seasonal forecast method to generate climate forecasts for the Greater Horn of Africa. February 2024 initialized seasonal forecasts from nine Global Producing Centres (GPCs) were utilized and processed using three calibration techniques to develop the MAM 2024 seasonal climate outlook.  

Addis Ababa February 20 /2024 (ENA) Ethiopia is a good example in Africa where big push forward has been seen on tree planting, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen said. The UNEP Executive Director, who participated at the 37th Ordinary Summit of AU, told ENA that Ethiopia has been planting billions of trees that will fix the soil and create greater nutrients in it as a crucial and pragmatic response to mitigate the climate catastrophe in the country and beyond. The Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) being implemented in Ethiopia was launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in June 2019, and has so far planted over 32.5 billion tree seedlings. So, Andersen stated that if “we take, for example Ethiopia where a big push forward has been on tree planting. This is very interesting. It'll fix the soil and create greater nutrients in the soil. It'll also prevent landslides and get greater water absorption.” According to Andersen, these kinds of environmental programs and projects are good not only for the local but also for the global economy. And “we're very pleased to see those kinds of initiatives here in Ethiopia.” She further stated that major crises have been occurring as a result of climate change, particularly hard hitting on Africa. “Due to climate change, we are witnessing major losses on our agricultural lands and we are seeing desertification. Now these crises are particularly hard hitting on Africa. Africa did very little to cause climate change. But Africa is suffering big time,” the executive director noted. Andersen further revealed that the United Nations is supporting Ethiopia as well as the entire continent with investments with smart policy shifts. The UN is firm about the imperative of climate justice and the imperative of climate finance, the executive director underscored. She also mentioned the recent loss and damage Fund with 800 million USD, which she believes is not enough. The executive director stressed that “we need to see billions.”  

Addis Ababa, February 16/2024 (ENA) The Green Legacy Initiative of Ethiopia and its achievements should be replicated by other countries, Portuguese Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho said.   In an exclusive interview with ENA, the foreign minister said “the initiative undertaken by Ethiopia can be very interesting for us to be able to replicate the model so that the experience that is gained by Ethiopia can be used as lessons learned for other countries.” Recall that Ethiopia, through Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s initiative has planted over 32.5 billion tree seedlings since 2019.   Stating that he had a fruitful discussion with Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie, Cravinho emphasized the need to further energize the strong cooperation between Ethiopia and Portugal, that is beyond 500 years. With Foreign Minister Taye “we have identified a number of steps that we can take, including a business model to create stronger economic links between Portugal and Ethiopia. So we have a roadmap for 2024 that can bring us closer,” he stated. According to him, renewable energy and public administration in digital transition are among the potential areas where the two countries can cooperate. “We have already been strengthening our embassy here in Addis Ababa. We would like to have Ethiopian embassy in Lisbon. Not only in the fields of economy, but also in cultural exchange language, tourism. We have a lot of growth ahead.”  

Addis Ababa January 28/2024 (ENA)The First Global Cheetah Summit Kicked off in Addis Ababa today to discuss and act-on the plight of the test land animal and the most endangered of the big cats. The Summit that brought together a diverse group of international stakeholders representing governments, universities, NGOs, policy and economy institutes, local and Indigenous communities, and private enterprise from around the world will deliberate on the challenges most endangered animals and put possible solutions. The Global Cheetah summit will be held for the coming three days to discuss the challenges facing the cheetah and action steps to reverse the decline of the species throughout its range. The Summit is organized by the Cheetah Conservation Fund in partnership with the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA). Today, there are less than 7,500 adult and adolescent cheetahs living in 31 populations in 23 countries of Africa and the last of the Asiatic cheetahs found in Iran with less than 25. Of these remaining populations, over two-thirds are less than 100 individuals. A research has highlighted that if nothing is done cheetah might go extinct within the next 20 years, as the majority of the cheetahs are living outside of protected areas.    

Addis Ababa, January 26/2024(ENA)- Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen conferred with Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy Dan Jorgensen at his office. During the discussion, Demeke expressed Ethiopia's desire to further strengthen the existing longstanding relationship between the two countries. He further explained Ethiopian practical efforts to mitigate climate change, indicating that through the National Green Legacy Initiative, billions of seedlings have been planted in Ethiopia in the last four years. The Deputy Prime Minister said that this activity shows Ethiopia's unwavering commitment to a carbon-free planet, which the world is aspiring for. Demeke also stressed Ethiopia's commitment to peace, mentioning the government's efforts to ensure accountability and consolidate peace in the country. The federal government is finalizing the formulation of a comprehensive transitional justice policy to ensure accountability, healing, and reconciliation, he added. Demeke also called on the stakeholders to provide concrete support to Ethiopia for its remarkable Green Initiative program. Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy Dan Jorgensen, on his part, stated that his country is highly interested in cooperating with Ethiopia in mitigating climate change. He also expressed his country's readiness to support Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiative.  

Addis Ababa, January 5/2024(ENA)- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said more than 2 billion coffee seedlings, half a billion fruit seedlings and 400 million tea plants are under preparation for the next planting season with improved focus. The premier said on X, former twitter, that over the past year, more than 2 billion coffee seedlings, more than half a billion fruit seedlings and more than 400 million tea plants are under preparation for the next planting season with improved focus. “If we are able to plant these seedlings and nurture them to production, it will have a great impact on our overall economy and efforts to address climate change,” he affirmed. Its been more than five years now since the government of Ethiopia has embarked a massive nationwide planting of seedlings through its Green Legacy Initiative introduced by the premier. The nation has so far planted more than 32.5 billion seedlings of various types including different kinds of fruits as part of the initiative. Ethiopia is carrying out this grand initiative with the objective to help the nation's ongoing efforts to boost agricultural productivity and ensure food self-sufficiency by mitigating the impacts of climate change.  

Addis Ababa, December 26/2023(ENA)- Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture has announced that about 85 percent of the 7.5 billion seedlings planted during the rainy season of the past Ethiopian Fiscal Year have survived and are thriving. As part of its ambitious plan to plant 50 billion trees in two phases of the Green Legacy Initiative, Ethiopia planted 32.5 billion saplings thus far in the first phase and the first year of the second phase. Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amente said about 85 percent of the total 7.5 billion seedlings planted during last year's rainy season have survived. Out of these 7.5 billion seedlings planted, 57 percent were mixed forest and fruit bearing saplings, while the remaining 43 percent were planted for environmental protection and watershed development, he noted. Emphasizing the rigorous monitoring system in place, with biannual surveys conducted to ensure the well being of the seedlings, the minister explained that the exploration work will be done after the end of summer and winter months. Accordingly, as per the first inspection conducted after the rainy season, 85 percent of the seedlings planted were approved to be survived. "The survival rate assessments have to be conducted twice; first immediately after the rainy season (summer) and second after the end of the winter. In the first round of the biannual survey after the rainy season, we found about 85% survival rate for seedlings planted during the previous rainy season. Maintaining or even surpassing this rate in future plantings is crucial.” Stressing that the ministry will work to increase the approval rate by continuously carrying out care activities, Girma stated that the second exploration work will be done after the completion of the winter season. Looking ahead, the minister revealed that preparations for the upcoming rainy season are well underway. In collaboration with regional authorities, a plan to cultivate 9 billion seedlings is in place, leveraging the established nurseries and practices developed over the past years, he stated. Girma acknowledged the varying preparation times for different species, particularly indigenous trees, and assured that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure optimal planting conditions. With Ethiopia aiming to plant 17.5 billion trees in the next three years, the Green Legacy Initiative is rapidly approaching to meet its ambitious target of planting 50 billion saplings, according to him. As Ethiopia proudly shared its Green Legacy experience at the recent COP28 Summit, the world is taking notice of this remarkable initiative, offering hope for a greener and more sustainable future for all.  

Addis Ababa December 23/2023 (ENA)The largest Russian geological institute, Karpinsky Russian Geological Research Institute, has expressed its willingness to share its advanced technologies to Ethiopia in the fields of geology. In an exclusive interview with ENA, Institute Director-General Pavel Khimchenko said the institute delegation has seen a lot of perspectives in Ethiopia. Accordingly, “we have main directions to develop together, including in geological mapping with a different scale.” “We can investigate, and also do geological mapping with a different scale. We have huge potential for cooperation in the future. Here, you see a lot of Russian and Ethiopian companies. I see how they contact each other and collaborate,” he stated. Given the huge potential in the geological sphere, and probably this next year, we'll see the concrete results of our cooperation, Khimchenko added. The institute is open to sharing technologies, and we have a lot of goods, services and works that we can provide. The director-general further said the institute “can provide technologies for Ethiopia, especially in IT technologies, in geology, geological mapping; and on how to investigate the special tough minerals and also how to do some stability studies for the future fields.” Commenting about the hospitality of Ethiopians, he said “I see that we are close to each other. I see that we are real friends and not friends in words. We are friends in real deals. That's why I see the huge potential for future steps and real steps.” The Karpinsky Russian Geological Research Institute is the leading institution of the Federal Agency on Mineral Resources in regional geological studies. Its main role is providing support and execution of state geological mapping of the Russian Federation and its adjacent water areas, the creation of a state network of reference geological and geophysical profiles, parametric and super-deep wells. It also provides scientific and technical support of geological exploration, scientific, thematic, and experimental and methodological activities.    

Addis Ababa, December 19/2023 (ENA) Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said seedling preparations underway for next 2024 year’s planting season. Ethiopia has been engaged in a massive afforestation activities through its Green Legacy Initiation, which was launched in 2019 by Prime Minister Abiy. The country has so far been able to plant more than 32.5 billion seedlings nationwide by mobilizing over 20 million people. The nation aims to plant 50 billion seedlings by 2026. The premier said on his Face-book page that “From year to year we’re invested in our Green Legacy. Seedling preparations underway for next year’s planting season.”    

Addis Ababa December 17/2023 (ENA) The Russian Embassy in Ethiopia launched today a geology class at the Pushkin Center in Addis Ababa. The geological class, named after a noted Russian Geologist, Karpinsky, was opened at the Pushkin Center in connection with the visit of Russian Geology Agency Head, Yevgeny Petrov to Ethiopia for a meeting, Russia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Evgeny Terekhin said. “This week, we are having a special event in Addis Ababa. A joint Ethio-Russian Commission on Economic and Trade Cooperation will kick off,” he said. “So in conjunction with his presence in Addis Ababa, we have arranged the launch of a special geological class at Pushkin Center for Ethiopian students who would be interested in studying or getting first knowledge of geology, ” the ambassador said. For the ambassador, the class is not just a gateway to geological knowledge for interested Ethiopians, but also a bridge between languages and cultures of the two countries. “This special class will also help students of Pushkin Center to better know and understand Russian language,” he said. He views the Pushkin Center as a platform to cultivate multilateral culture and historical relationships between the peoples of the two countries. Culture forges the existing Ethio-Russian ties, he said, adding the recent events of captivating concert by renowned Russian musicians are testaments to this ongoing cultural exchange. Similarly, he expects Ethiopian artists to present their cultural show to the Russia audience. “The two (Ethiopia and Russia) should do more and more. We are keen to see Ethiopian artists sing and dance in Russia to show their arts to a broad Russian people who I am sure will be amazed by the Ethiopian cultural traditions and heritage,” ambassador Terekhin pointed out. This cultural reciprocity, he believes, will solidify the very foundation of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.   Director of the Pushkin Center, Alexander Evstigneev on his part said educational materials are fulfilled for the geological class opened today. He expressed his hope that such educational opportunities will foster the Ethio-Russian ties. The geology class will provide short term courses and seminars, it was learned.        

Addis Ababa, December 10/2023(ENA)- Ethiopian students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) visited Ethiopia’s Green Legacy pavilion at the COP28 Green Zone in Dubai. The students expressed pride in the initiative's progress. Young Ethiopians studying in the UAE got a firsthand look at their home country's ambitious environmental initiative, the Green Legacy, with a visit to the dedicated pavilion at COP28. Walking through the interactive exhibits, the students were excited and proud to witness the progress of the initiative. At COP28, Ethiopia is featuring its Green Legacy related development initiatives at the Ethiopia Pavilion in the Green Zone. The Pavilion shows Ethiopia’s strong commitment to address climate change through concrete solutions.

Addis Ababa, December 10/2023(ENA)- The Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD) hosted side event at COP28 showcasing the accomplishments of the REDD+ program in Ethiopia's forest development sector. The event attracted a diverse audience eager to learn about the program's positive impact on the country's environment and economy. The event featured insightful presentations covering key areas of the REDD+ program, including: REDD+ preparedness and implementation program.   This presentation highlighted the program's framework and its progress in reducing deforestation and forest degradation including in water shade management and Green Legacy Initiative. Under the discussion of water shade management focused on the crucial role of forests in water conservation and the program's efforts to improve watershed management practices. Ethiopia's Green Legacy presentation showcased the ambitious national afforestation and reforestation initiative aimed at restoring degraded lands and increasing forest cover. Following the presentations, an engaging panel discussion took place, featuring experts from the United Nations Development Program, the Bio Economy Alliance, the Oromiya Environment and Climate Change Bureau, and Ethiopia's Forestry Development. The panelists discussed the program's significant contributions to Ethiopia's GDP and emphasized the importance of community involvement in participatory forest management strategies, according to Ministry of Planning and Development. The event concluded with a clear message of success that the REDD+ program has made remarkable strides in Ethiopia's forest development sector, contributing to environmental protection, economic growth, and community empowerment. The program's achievements serve as a powerful example for other countries seeking sustainable forest management solutions.    

Addis Ababa December 9/2023(ENA)The desert locust and other transboundary pests have remained a major threat to food security in the East African region, experts from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) told ENA. Over 850 million USD was spent to respond to desert locust crises between 2019 and 2021 alone, according to the evidence obtained from IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC). ICPAC Sustainable Transboundary Pest Management Program Manager Kenneth Mwangi said that he is worried by the fresh invasion of desert locust in the wider East African region. “So far our worry is that the region is currently very green and this is one of the drivers of locust swarm. With a lot of vegetation due to high rainfall happening, there is a fertile ground for locust breeding and infestation,” he noted. In this respect, the IGAD region is passing through more and more extreme weather events that have created favorable conditions to desert locust and other transboundary pests, Mwangi elaborated. As desert locust is among the top 10 food security threats in the IGAD region, the program manager warned that the looming infestation will exacerbate the food crisis in the region. “We can see already condition for getting future pest invasion like locust and others,” he revealed. Subsequently, the program manager stressed the need for reinforcing a regional approach to curb locust invasion and other pests the IGAD region faces. According to Mwangi, IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre is working hard towards containing swarms of locust in their breeding areas. To this end, the centre is particularly supporting IGAD region countries through its transboundary projects so that the swarm will not be out of control in the wider region, he added.   IGAD Climate Prediction Centre Climate scientist, Herbert Omondi Misiani said climate change is creating favorable condition for locust to thrive. The IGAD region has been witnessing several manifestations of climate change such as increasing flooding following a heavy rainfall and drought induced events, he pointed out. Moreover, the changing condition for the sea surface temperature intensity is anticipated to negatively impact in terms of flooding and drought. “The projection of the future demonstrates that these drivers of drought will result in more infestation of pests and diseases.” The climate scientist urged IGAD and its member states to mobilize resources for adoption and resilient livelihood.   In connection with this, Misiani mentioned Ethiopia’s response for the worrying climate change through its Green Legacy Initiative (GLI). The country has planted tens of millions of tree seedlings over the last four years. “We have seen that Ethiopia is trying to plant trees and Kenya is also doing the same. So having more trees in the region would reduce the green house efforts.” Due to the severity scenario and its difficulties the crisis of transboundary locust infestations, the media outlets in the IGAD region should give elaborate information to the vulnerable communities, governments, and other stakeholders, IGAD Communication trainer Isaac Sagala said.   Currently, IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre is providing training for journalists from the region on crisis of transboundary locust and other pests invasion.        

Addis Ababa December 9/2023 (ENA)Ethiopia is taking the leading role in combating climate change with its presentable actions and measures, African Union Youth Assembly-Ethiopia International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs Director Wechkuoth said. In an exclusive interview with ENA, Andres G. Wechkuoth said the government's commitment to combating climate change with the Green Legacy Initative is so commendable. Planting more seedlings can have a significant and positive impact on the environment by reducing carbon dioxide and promoting bio-diversity. It also helps to combat deforestation and erosion and such efforts contribute a lot to ensure a green and more sustainable future for Ethiopia in particular, and the planet as whole, the director stated. Highlighting that the initiative has been receiving many recognitions and appreciations from different institutions, Wechkuoth added that it deserves more recognition, participation, innovation and collaboration. Some of the possible actions are encouraging citizens, especially women and youth, to join the tree planting campaigns and take care of the planted seedlings, introducing more varieties of eco-friendly and climate resilient seedlings that can provide multiple benefits such as food, income and bio-diversity protection. Regional organizations, international agencies and other countries have to exert maximum efforts to share Ethiopia’s best practices to promote the Green Legacy Initiative, the director underlined. Though Ethiopia’s Green Legacy has received a lot of recognition from the different international entities, what is the most important thing is recognizing the initiative as part of the environmental combating of climate change. “I do see Ethiopia as a country that is taking the lead, showing other countries as an example. It is so impressive, I think other nations should take Ethiopia as an example.” For the director and environmental and climate activist, the Green Legacy Initiative should be recognized as one of the African initiatives. According to him, unlike many other countries Ethiopia has something to present as green legacy and something presentable. “What is much important now is we should always take examples; and we can set the tone for the other generations. Ethiopia has already built a future for the generation that will never be forgettable.” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched the Green Legacy Initiative in June 2019 with a target of planting 20 billion seedlings within a period of four years. In this framework, the country has so far planted over 32.5 billion tree seedlings and broken its own record of planting seedlings. In December, 2022, PM Abiy was awarded the "Outstanding African Leadership Award" in recognition of the Green Legacy Initiative.          

Addis Ababa December 9/2023 (ENA) Ethiopia's re-greening and afforestation program is a model for global climate action, Ethiopia's special envoy to the United Arab Emirate (UAE) Umer Hussein said. At a sideline event hosted at the Green Legacy Pavilion in Dubai COP28, the ambassador said the Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) is the best way of tackling climate change in a nature-based approach. The side event was opened by Ambassador Umer who is Ethiopia's Special Envoy and Statutory to the United Arab Emirate (UAE) stated that the country's re-greening and afforestation program as a model case for climate action.   In her key note speech, Norway's International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) Deputy Director, Dyveke Rogan said "Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiative serves as an extraordinary commitment that serves a wider range of ecological wellbeing.” Representatives from the World Bank Group, United Nations Environmental Program and the International Organization for Migration have also showed solidarity to support Ethiopia's nature based solutions to climate action in their speeches at the event. Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative represents a proactive response to pressing environmental and socio-economical challenges. The initiative has registered remarkable success by planting 32.5 billion seedlings over the past five years, and targets to plant 50 billion by 2026.