Ethiopia marks World
Environment Day aiming to plant 5bn trees
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| A woman cares for a seedling at a nursery outside Buee, in southern Ethiopia (AFP) |
Marking World Environment Day, Ethiopia’s President launches
a project that aims to plant 5 billion tree seedlings amid the enduring
Covid-19 pandemic that has led to the drawing of parallels between the global
health crisis and climate change.
By Vatican News
Ethiopia finalized groundworks to plant 5 billion trees
during its rainy season that extends from June to September, setting World
Environment Day as the day on which to flag-off a programme to combat
desertification and make the nation greener.
This year’s initiative echoes a similar one last year called
for by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who asked his countrymen to plant 200 million
acacia seedlings in a single day, shattering the world record.
That effort proved disappointing because more than one-third
of them, planted in hastily-dug holes filled with poor soil, were immediately
washed away in the rain.
But lessons have been learnt and Abiy, who is the 2019
Peace-prize Nobel Laureate, is determined to push forward with his “Green
Legacy” campaign to promote ecotourism and transform Ethiopia into an
environmentally friendly economy.
This year, experts have reportedly briefed officials on how
to do a better job on seedling placement as well as explaining to citizens how
afforestation will improve their lives.
They also point out that it shouldn't be a one-day campaign
that happens every year, but an approach that engages every citizen and
community, wherever they are, all year-round.
Involving communities
Productive and sustainable plantation and rehabilitation
projects are already in place in the arid Horn of Africa nation, delivering
immediate and concrete benefits to those living nearby.
Such as the one promoted by the UN Development Programme in
Buee District where constructed ponds offer herders an alternative water source
for their cattle and residents have been given eucalyptus seedlings to plant
near their homes so they're not tempted to cut down the project's acacia and
silky oak trees.
The project's nursery, meanwhile, employs 17 local women who
earn roughly 50 US dollars per month, a good earning for the region.
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