Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Will Improve East Africa’s Drought Resilience: Experts
The Green Legacy that Ethiopia is undertaking will significantly improve resilience capacity of the drought-prone Eastern Africa region, IGAD Executive Secretary Spokesperson Sheekh said.
In an exclusive interview with ENA, Spokesperson Nuur Mohamud Sheekh said that Ethiopia’s Green Legacy will certainly benefit the entire world’s environmental protection.
As Ethiopia is one of the best disaster risk management institutions in the region, and even in Africa, it has a lot to share, he said, adding that the country is investing heavily in conserving water resources and this water resource is used for the benefit of the entire continent.
The spokesperson underscored that “the Green Legacy is very important. We have to take the environment very seriously. The rate at which deforestation is taking place in some of our member states is alarming and you have had the executive secretary saying that 40.2 million people are facing serious food insecurity, which is the worst in 40 years. So, we have to of course invest in climate. We have to invest in building community resilience. We have to make sure that we conserve water.”
Furthermore, he pointed out that Ethiopia has a lot of experience to share about dealing with drought and conservation of the environment; and it is sharing.
Agriculture State Minister Fikru Regassa said the Green Legacy initiative will help Ethiopia and the region mitigate the disasters caused by climate change.
“It is expected to contribute a lot in modifying the climate change and when this mitigation goes we hope that the resilience will be built because it helps to conserve our natural resources. Hence may be the source of water can be built and of course the global warming effect in Ethiopia can be reduced,” he elaborated.
According to the state minister, countries can benefit a lot, especially in conserving natural resource and in overcoming the effect of drought, if they follow the footsteps of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy.
National IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience Initiative (IDDRSI) Coordinator, Edmealem Shitaye said the Ethiopian Green Legacy initiative has significant role in building resilience capacity, especially in dry land areas of the country.
“We are planting huge number of trees which do have a positive implication on maintaining and sustaining the ecosystem that ultimately conserves and reduces the soil erosion. And there is no doubt that the Green Legacy has and will have a significant implication in reducing vulnerability, improving food security, land degradation, and improving the livelihoods,” he noted.
Through the Green Legacy campaign, Ethiopia has so far planted tree seedlings in billions during the past three years.
Source: Ethiopia News Agency