Addis ababa: 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 announced the commencement of this historic campaign as a strategic effort to restore degraded landscapes, enhance climate resilience, and advance Ethiopia's long-term environmental sustainability objectives.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the large-scale tree-planting initiative is a direct response to the pressing challenges of land degradation and environmental depletion confronting the country. Speaking at the launch ceremony, Minister Melese emphasized the critical need for the Green Legacy Initiative, stating that the campaign aims to rejuvenate dried and depleted lands across Ethiopia.
"The overarching reason we are taking our Green Legacy initiative to the field is that we have dried, depleted, and degraded land," Melese remarked during her speech. She highlighted the significance of the day, noting the transformative impact of planting 800 million seedlings and the potential for the land to regenerate and flourish.
Melese further explained that this one-day campaign is part of a broader national goal to plant 8 billion seedlings during the current rainy season. The initiative, she noted, is rooted in collective national action and reflects a shared commitment to restoring ecosystems, safeguarding water resources, and improving livelihoods throughout the nation.
The minister also emphasized the importance of collective responsibility and national cooperation to address Ethiopia's 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 stated, underscoring the need for unity in addressing environmental issues.
Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiative serves as a central pillar of its environmental and climate strategy, integrating reforestation, watershed rehabilitation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable agriculture. The ambitious tree-planting campaign is expected to mobilize millions of citizens, public institutions, communities, and development partners across all regions, reinforcing Ethiopia's position as a leading African advocate for large-scale climate and ecological restoration.