Ethiopia's Green Legacy: A Pragmatic Climate Strategy worth Emulating

By Bereket Sisay

Addis Ababa, July 13, 2025 (ENA) -- The recent devastating flash floods that hit Central Texas, resulting in the deaths of over 120 individuals, alongside the flooding incidents in China, Pakistan, and South Africa, as well as the extensive wildfires and heat waves that impacted France and other regions of Europe, serve as a stark reminder of the severity of climate change and the perilous path the world is on towards an even greater climate disaster. Although NASA's data indicates that the global surface temperature has risen by more than 1.1°C since the late 19th century due to alterations in temperature and climate patterns, the initial effects of climate change were minimal. At least they were not at the levels we are witnessing now. However, this situation has evolved, and the consequences have become increasingly pronounced. This shift has led to significant costs associated with damage to human lives and property. Furthermore, it has jeopardized the resilience of future capabilities, as demonstrated by the experiences of the aforementioned nations.

International organizations such as the United Nations, along with various climate-related scientific groups and volunteer organizations striving to prevent climate disasters, have persistently raised their voices and urged the global community to take appropriate action against all challenges. However, the tangible measures taken to combat climate change are insufficient to counteract the increasingly severe challenges already faced.

Ethiopia situated in a strategically significant area of the Horn of Africa and the Nile belt, although it has not contributed significantly to pollution like many other developing nations, has suffered the immense consequences of climate disasters. Specifically, the Horn of Africa, which includes Ethiopia, is particularly vulnerable to climate-related disasters due to its dependence on rain-fed agriculture and its limited capacity to adapt. As the challenges mount and the risks of further strengthening in the future increase, Ethiopia has not waited for the climate doomsday to arrive. Rather, it has started taking proactive measures against this global difficulty.

As part of a concerted effort to combat climate change, Ethiopia has initiated ambitious homegrown reforestation projects, which have significant ramifications, including advancing the nation's pursuit of self-sufficiency in food production. The Ethiopian Green Legacy Initiative represents a practical, indigenous, and self-funded (allocating 0.5% to 1% of its annual federal budget) approach to tackling this worldwide issue. It is founded on the concept of an ‘African solution to an African problem’, although this challenge extends beyond the continent of Africa. This initiative, launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019, has already yielded tangible benefits, increasing the country's forest coverage from approximately 17% to 23% through ongoing tree planting activities, and has successfully registered over 40 billion seedlings to date.

The Ethiopian Forestry Development data indicates that through the Green Legacy initiative, the nation’s annual deforestation rate decreased from an estimated 38,000 hectares seven years ago to 27,703 hectares last year, and is continuing to decrease.

In addition to helping to lower Ethiopia's carbon footprint, this forest coverage enhances the public health performance index by supplying quality air to the nearby region. The initiative has also effectively restored the ecosystem by reintroducing indigenous trees that had suffered greatly due to poor soil quality, inadequate soil conservation methods, and various forms of mismanagement. A significant area of degraded land across different regions of the country has been revitalized and is now sufficiently fertile for both farming and grazing. Furthermore, in addition to countering years of deforestation and environmental degradation, Ethiopia is striving to attain food sovereignty through the Green Legacy Initiative, which promotes the cultivation of fruit-bearing trees and agroforestry practices. These initiatives directly contribute to enhancing dietary diversity. Moreover, the planting of trees improves soil fertility and water retention, thereby supporting sustainable agricultural methods. The Green Legacy Initiative has significantly bolstered Ethiopia's resilience to droughts, floods, and other climate-related adversities. The beneficial effects of the Green Legacy Initiative extend beyond Ethiopia; they have also reached neighboring countries and the broader Horn region.

The initiative also created job opportunities for over 800,000 people across the agroforestry value chains, directly contributing to enhanced community economic resilience. Considering its evident and practical advantages, the initiative is set to bring about a transformative effect on the region and has established dual avenues for engagement: Ethiopia aims to share its knowledge with neighboring nations that wish to emulate its success. Consequently, Ethiopia is endeavoring to extend its expertise to surrounding countries by distributing seedlings to the region and sharing its experiences, which transcends mere moral obligation and strategic necessity. This initiative was established to foster partnerships and collaborations that enhance regional cooperation in climate adaptation and environmental restoration, as this endeavor necessitates collective efforts. Meanwhile, it has been evolving into a flagship project for IGAD, serving as a model for other member states in their battle against climate change. The initiative has demonstrated its effectiveness in improving soil and water conservation, mitigating desertification, and bolstering resilience to climate extremes such as droughts.

Furthermore, it is part of a larger regional initiative associated with the AU’s Great Green Wall project, which seeks to combat desertification throughout the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. In support of the Ethiopian Green Legacy, the former AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, Josefa Sacko, remarked, "Many other countries should come and see this program in Ethiopia and learn from it. That is the advantage of being in this AU platform—knowledge sharing. We need to share knowledge. As commissioner in this area, I will always say that all other countries should embrace what Ethiopia is doing and follow its example.”

This reinforces Ethiopia's commitment to a sustainable future, which is now extending beyond its borders and becoming a regional initiative. It has demonstrated to be a practical response to the escalating climate crisis and, at least for the time being, a viable solution to this worldwide issue.

Data indicates that the planet is heating up at an unparalleled pace, with 2024 already recorded as the hottest year to date. In spite of some advancement, the global community is not on course to achieve the objectives set forth in the Paris climate agreement, which seeks to diminish worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and maintain the average increase in surface temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Nevertheless, projections suggest that the planet is on a path to experience a temperature increase ranging from 2.6 to 3.1°C above pre-industrial levels by the year 2100. This fluctuation in climate conditions is directly linked to human activities, and specialists assert that we can avert the most severe consequences by swiftly reducing emissions to zero, which will help to mitigate warming. Besides its detrimental effects and associated losses and damages, climate change is responsible for pushing an estimated 26 million individuals into poverty annually due to extreme weather phenomena and natural calamities, as reported by recent World Bank statistics.

These disruptions could potentially drive a total of 130 million people into poverty by the year 2030. Consequently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommends that “the magnitude and rate of climate change and associated risks depend strongly on near-term mitigation and adaptation actions, and projected adverse impacts and related losses and damages escalate with every increment of global warming.”

This has prompted nations, especially those in Africa, particularly the Sahel and Horn countries, to focus on reversing negative trends and to implement climate adaptation programs through utilizing locally developed solutions. This necessity arises from the fact that African nations are unable to self-finance or receive the essential climate finance required to support various climate adaptation initiatives and projects aimed at a just transition.

Furthermore, the $100 billion pledged by developed nations for climate compensation to developing countries, intended to address loss and damage, has not been delivered effectively. Even the available funds are not reaching those most in need. Consequently, it is essential for African nations to adopt the strategies that Ethiopia is employing (Green Legacy) to enhance their efforts against climate change and to contribute to sustainable development, as this initiative is better tailored to the local context.

Failing to take such actions risks an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, which could exacerbate the existing socio-economic challenges on the continent, significantly hindering Africa's progress toward achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) and its continental blueprint outlined in Agenda 2063 - the Africa we want.