The Green Legacy Initiative, which was launched 5 years ago, has been playing a crucial role in conserving plant species and restoring the ecosystem damaged due to various challenges, a forest conservation researcher at the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute told ENA.
The researcher, Sisay Alemu, said that more than 25 billion saplings have been planted in the country with the participation of the public during the stated period.
This wouldn’t have been possible without the enthusiasm and active participation of the people, he added.
It is this feeling that has encouraged the government to launch the second phase of tree planting program through which 500 million seedlings are expected to be planted in a single day.
According to him, the ongoing initiative is one of the mechanisms that the institute has been employing in its efforts to preserve plant species and restore ecosystem damaged due to various challenges in the country.
The researcher appreciated the commitment of the community in protecting and caring for planted trees.
“Although the Green Legacy is a government initiative, the society has embraced it and is contributing enthusiastically to the development of the country and fighting climate change,” he noted.
Planting a tree is of great importance for the development of the country and it should be expanded in all areas, Sisay stressed.
The trees planted have not only made the country green, but are also of food and medicinal values, he added.
The researcher enumerated uses of the trees being planted, including touristic attraction.
Furthermore, he raised about the global climate challenge many governments are trying to tackle through green legacy programs that alleviates the problem.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency