Ethiopia has planted more than 350 million trees in a single day, officials say, in what they believe is a world record.
353,633,660 Tree Seedlings Planted in 12 Hours
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (pictured above) is leading the project to counter the effects of deforestation and climate change in the drought-prone country. Mr. Ahmed launched the tree-planting exercise as part of his Green Legacy Initiative, which is taking place in 1,000 sites across the country. Some public offices were shut down to allow civil servants to take part. Getahun Mekuria, Ethiopia’s minister of innovation and technology, said 353,633,660 seedlings were planted in 12 hours on Monday.
The previous world record for the most trees planted in a day stood at 50m, held by India since 2016
The planting is part of a national “green legacy” initiative to grow 4bn trees in the country this summer by encouraging every citizen to plant at least 40 seedlings. Public offices have reportedly been shut down in order for civil servants to take part.
The project aims to tackle the effects of deforestation and climate change in the drought-prone country. According to the UN, Ethiopia’s forest coverage was just 4% in the 2000s, down from 35% a century earlier.
Ethiopia’s minister of innovation and technology, Dr. Getahun Mekuria, tweeted estimates of the number of trees planted throughout the day. By early evening on Monday, he put the number at 353m.
The previous world record for the most trees planted in one day stood at 50m, held by India since 2016.
Dr. Dan Ridley-Ellis, the head of the centre for wood science and technology at Edinburgh Napier University, told The Guardian: “Trees not only help mitigate climate change by absorbing the carbon dioxide in the air, but they also have huge benefits in combating desertification and land degradation, particularly in arid countries. They also provide food, shelter, fuel, fodder, medicine, materials and protection of the water supply.
“This truly impressive feat is not just the simple planting of trees, but part of a huge and complicated challenge to take account of the short- and long-term needs of both the trees and the people. The forester’s mantra ‘the right tree in the right place’ increasingly needs to consider the effects of climate change, as well as the ecological, social, cultural and economic dimension.”
Source: TheGuardian
ETHIOPIAN PRIME MINISTER LAUNCHES GREEN INITIATIVE BY PLANTING FIRST OF 4 BILLION TREES
At the end of May, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially launched a national tree planting project aimed at planting 4 billion trees in the Horn of Africa nation. In photos that were shared by the official Twitter account of the Office of the Prime Minister, Abiy could be seen planting a seedling to officially kick start the ambitious campaign. Learn more.
How to Plant a Tree (With Pictures)
Planting a tree isn’t as simple as digging a hole and throwing the tree into it. You need to consider your land, the climate where you live, what plants are suitable to your local area. However, if you take the time to think about these factors, you will be able to successfully plant and enjoy a tree or trees for years to come!