Ethiopia Kicks Off Nationwide Campaign to Plant 800 Million Trees in Single Day

Addis Ababa, August 3, 2026 (ENA—Ethiopia has officially launched a nationwide campaign to plant 800 million tree seedlings in a single day, marking one of the world’s largest coordinated environmental restoration efforts and a major milestone in the country’s Green Legacy Initiative.

Government Communication Service Minister Enatalem Melese, said the historic campaign has officially kicked off as  part of  restoring degraded landscapes, strengthening climate resilience, and advancing Ethiopia’s long-term environmental sustainability agenda.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, the minister said the country’s large-scale tree-planting drive responds to the urgent challenge of land degradation and environmental depletion.

“The overarching reason we are taking our Green Legacy initiative to the field is that we have dried, depleted, and degraded land,” she said.

She added that:  “Today is a special day when 800 million green seedlings touch the earth. It is a day when the land reaffirms its promise and demonstrates its ability to return more than it receives.”

Melese said the one-day campaign forms part of Ethiopia’s broader target of planting 8 billion seedlings during the current rainy season, underscoring that the initiative is rooted in collective national action.

“What we plant, we plant with unity of thought and action,” she said, adding that the campaign reflects a shared commitment to restoring ecosystems, protecting water resources, and improving livelihoods across the country.

She also calls for collective responsibility and national cooperation in addressing major development challenges.

“Our greatest motivation for moving forward in thought and action comes from the call to collectively heal our degraded and depleted land,” she said.

The Green Legacy Initiative has become a central pillar of Ethiopia’s environmental and climate strategy, combining reforestation, watershed rehabilitation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable agriculture.

The 800 million tree-planting campaign is expected to mobilize millions of citizens, public institutions, communities, and development partners across all regions of the country, reinforcing Ethiopia’s position as a leading African advocate for large-scale climate and ecological restoration.