Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative a Game Changer for Environment, Water Security: UNECA Officer

Addis Ababa, June 17, 2026 (ENA) — Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative has emerged as a transformative force in environmental restoration and water sustainability that could be replicated across Africa, Charles Akol, Environmental Affairs Officer at UN Economic Commission for Africa, said.

Speaking to ENA, Akol described the nationwide tree-planting campaign as a “game changer.”

He highlighted the initiative’s significant contribution to restoring degraded landscapes, safeguarding water resources, and enhancing climate resilience.

Since its launch in 2019, the Green Legacy Initiative has mobilized millions of Ethiopians in an unprecedented national effort that has led to the planting of more than 48 billion tree seedlings.

The initiative has gained growing international recognition as a testament to Ethiopia’s commitment to environmental sustainability, ecosystem restoration and green development, it was learned.

 

Akol noted that Ethiopia holds a strategically important ecological position in Africa, with its highlands and mountain ecosystems serving as critical sources of water for millions of people across the region.

Protecting and restoring these landscapes, he said, is essential for ensuring long-term water security and environmental sustainability.

“The Green Legacy Initiative is really a game changer. It recognizes that without replanting trees and restoring forest cover, we cannot sustain water resources. I have seen the initiative moving very rapidly to ensure that forests are recovering,” he said.

 

According to the UNECA environmental officer, restoring forests is fundamental to safeguarding watersheds, replenishing water systems and reversing environmental degradation caused by decades of deforestation and unsustainable land-use practices.

He emphasized that Ethiopia’s experience offers valuable lessons for other African countries facing similar environmental challenges and called for broader adoption of comparable initiatives across the continent.

“The initiative needs to be replicated across Africa,” Akol said, adding that large-scale reforestation programs can play a critical role in addressing climate change while enhancing ecosystem resilience.

 

 

Akol also commended Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for championing environmental restoration efforts and promoting collaboration with other African countries to advance similar initiatives.

He further highlighted the potential synergy between Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative and the African-led Great Green Wall initiative, noting that together they could significantly improve water management, land restoration, food security, and employment opportunities across the continent.

“Combined with the Great Green Wall Initiative, these efforts will be game changers in terms of water management, land management, job creation and food security in Africa,” he stated.

Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative was launched in response to decades of environmental degradation that saw the country’s forest cover decline dramatically—from about 40 percent at the beginning of the 20th century to roughly 3 percent by the late 1990s.

 

The decline was driven by deforestation, unsustainable land use, overgrazing, and poor natural resource management, contributing to reduced agricultural productivity, shrinking water bodies, recurrent droughts, and heightened food insecurity.

Since the launch of the initiative, however, Ethiopia has made notable progress in reversing these trends.

Recent data indicate that the country’s forest coverage has increased from approximately 17 percent to 23 percent through sustained reforestation efforts.

With more than 48 billion seedlings already planted and over eight billion additional seedlings prepared for the upcoming rainy season, Ethiopia continues to scale up one of the world’s largest reforestation programs.

The initiative includes the planting of fruit trees, fodder species, fuelwood, and ornamental plants, while also attracting growing international recognition and cooperation from neighboring countries and development partners.