{"id":2881,"date":"2026-06-02T14:03:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T14:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/?p=2881"},"modified":"2026-06-02T14:03:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T14:03:22","slug":"entoto-kechene-project-goes-beyond-ecological-restoration-to-image-building-strawberry-farms-to-entoto-honey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/entoto-kechene-project-goes-beyond-ecological-restoration-to-image-building-strawberry-farms-to-entoto-honey\/","title":{"rendered":"Entoto\u2013Kechene : Project Goes Beyond: Ecological Restoration to Image Building & Strawberry Farms to Entoto Honey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

AMN Plus-June 2, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has officially inaugurated the Entoto\u2013Kechene Urban Renewal and Riverside Development Project, a transformative initiative stretching from Entoto Kusquam to Kechene Medhanealem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Prime Minister emphasized that the project is far more than an urban beautification effort. He noted that it represents a major contribution to Ethiopia\u2019s economic transformation, environmental restoration, and the improvement of citizens\u2019 quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 9.6-kilometer riverside development corridor has undergone a remarkable transformation, turning what was once a neglected and vulnerable area into an attractive destination featuring walking and hiking trails, recreational spaces, and modern public amenities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to the Prime Minister, anyone familiar with the area\u2019s previous condition would find the scale of the change almost unbelievable. Abiy highlighted that the project is also creating significant economic opportunities. Through partnerships with private investors, numerous coffee shops, restaurants, and commercial centers are currently under development along the corridor, positioning the area as a vibrant hub for tourism, recreation, and business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prime Minister further underscored the project’s urban agriculture component, noting that pilot initiatives have already yielded encouraging results. Strawberry farms producing harvests every two days, alongside orange and lemon orchards, highland coffee cultivation, and the production of the uniquely flavored Entoto honey, demonstrate the area’s growing potential to generate income for both domestic and international markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the ecological restoration effort, extensive work is underway to replace water-intensive eucalyptus trees with indigenous species. According to the Prime Minister, these measures have already enhanced the mountain\u2019s ability to retain water and gradually release moisture to downstream areas, contributing to long-term environmental sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Abiy also praised the extensive terracing works constructed across the mountainous landscape to prevent soil erosion. He noted that the terraces, built entirely by hand without the use of heavy machinery, stand as a remarkable testament to local expertise and determination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prime Minister emphasized that the design and implementation were carried out not by foreign specialists but by skilled Ethiopian professionals from the Konso community, renowned for their indigenous knowledge of terracing and land management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on the area’s past condition, the Prime Minister recalled that it was once characterized by overcrowded settlements made of plastic sheets and plywood, inadequate sanitation, limited road access, and a high vulnerability to flooding and other disasters. Today, he said, the project has fundamentally transformed the area by expanding access, improving infrastructure, restoring environmental health, and elevating the living standards of residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The remaining sections are expected to be finalized within the next two to three months, enabling the entire corridor up to Peacock to become fully operational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his concluding remarks, Prime Minister Abiy stressed that sustainable development is achieved through commitment, hard work, and perseverance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Birhanu Workneh<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AMN Plus-June 2, 2026 Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has officially inaugurated the Entoto\u2013Kechene Urban Renewal and Riverside Development Project, a transformative initiative stretching from Entoto Kusquam to Kechene Medhanealem. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Prime Minister emphasized that the project is far more than an urban beautification effort. He noted that it represents […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-addis-ababa-affairs","category-development","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2881"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2886,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2881\/revisions\/2886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}