Planting trees in Ethiopia

Planting trees in Ethiopia

The world is losing its natural forests. So much so that deforestation contributes more to global carbon emissions every year than the transport sector. Yet trees are a natural environmental power house. The oxygen they produce removes air pollution, lowers temperatures and adds moisture to the air. By holding soil in place and reducing run-off from streams, they prevent soil erosion, control avalanches and mitigate desertification.

With forests storing 283 gigatonnes of carbon in their biomass alone, curbing deforestation – and re-planting trees – is a highly effective way to reduce carbon emissions.

At the turn of the 20th century, 40 per cent of Ethiopia was covered by forest. Today that figure is just 3 per cent. As a consequence, deforestation is jeopardising livelihoods and taking its toll on children’s development, most especially in its remote and underdeveloped regions.

In 2007, as part of its millennium celebrations, the Government of Ethiopia pledged to plant more than 60 million trees across the country. UNICEF, a key partner in this highly ambitious initiative, is contributing to the planting of at least 20 million trees. The overall aim is to create a safer, healthier environment for Ethiopia’s future generations whilst taking action on the deforestation which is contributing to flash-flooding and the destruction of homes and crops.

UNICEF believes it is vital that children and young people are able to play a role in protecting their environment. To that end, Ethiopia’s Millennium Tree Planting Campaign has enlisted children and young people as major partners.

Two year-old seedlings – from five indigenous species – are being planted and nurtured by children and young people in school compounds and areas selected by local communities. The campaign is raising public awareness about broader environmental issues and with the children’s enthusiastic involvement is, quite literally, putting one aspect of environmental protection firmly in their hands.

Ethiopia’s Millennium Tree Planting Campaign is part of UNEP’s ‘Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign’. Individuals, children and youth groups, schools, community groups, NGOs, farmers, the private sector, local authorities and national governments are all encouraged to enter tree-planting pledges online. Each pledge can be anything from a single tree to several million trees.

Sources: UNICEF Country Programme, Ethiopia, “Climate Change and Children”, UNICEF 2007.