AMN Plus-July 30, 2026
“For a Greener Nation! For a More Beautiful City! Green Legacy: The Pride of Our Unity!” — with this message, the Addis Ababa Mayor’s Office has announced that only four days remain until Ethiopia’s nationwide one-day Green Legacy campaign, which aims to plant 800 million seedlings in a single day.
According to the Mayor’s Office, the Green Legacy Initiative has become one of Ethiopia’s most successful national efforts to restore degraded ecosystems and address long-standing environmental challenges. Although Ethiopia is endowed with fertile land and abundant transboundary rivers that flow to neighboring countries and beyond, decades of environmental degradation and unsustainable land use have left the country vulnerable to drought and other climate-related challenges. The Green Legacy Initiative is helping reverse that trend.
Launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) in 2019, the initiative has inspired millions of Ethiopians to embrace not only the culture of planting trees but also the responsibility of nurturing and protecting them. As a result, the country has begun reversing decades of forest loss, with forest resources showing steady signs of recovery.
Beyond its environmental impact, the Green Legacy Program has emerged as a powerful symbol of national unity. It has brought Ethiopians from all walks of life together around a shared mission, strengthening solidarity, fostering a spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood, and encouraging collective action toward building a greener and more prosperous future.
The Mayor’s Office noted that by placing national interests above individual and group interests, the initiative creates a platform where people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives work together for a common purpose. Every seedling planted today represents tomorrow’s forests, cleaner air, cooler cities, and a healthier environment for future generations.
The initiative is also positioning Ethiopia as a global example in climate action and environmental conservation by restoring degraded landscapes through community-driven efforts.
Planting 48 billion seedlings over the past several years stands as a remarkable national achievement. The upcoming campaign to plant 800 million seedlings in a single day—now just four days left—is expected to mark another historic milestone, reflecting Ethiopia’s determination, resilience, and unwavering commitment to building a greener, more sustainable future for generations to come.
