The Climate Change Africa Initiative (CHAIN) has praised Ethiopia for planting over 615 million trees in a single day, hailing it as a “remarkable achievement”.
The ambitious initiative saw millions of Ethiopians participate in a mass tree-planting effort that lasted from sunrise to sunset, covering 318.4 hectares of geospatially mapped locations across the country.
In a letter to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, CHAIN called the effort an “unprecedented” world record and a “shining example” of environmental conservation.
We are particularly impressed by the level of participation, with 29.1 million citizens taking part in this massive undertaking,” said CHAIN’s communications director, Muhammed Malik.
“The involvement of people from all walks of life – children, youth, and the elderly – demonstrates the deep commitment of Ethiopians to securing a greener future for generations to come.”
“We believe that such large-scale reforestation efforts are crucial in our continent’s fight against environmental degradation and its effects on food security. As you rightly pointed out, the planting is just the beginning.
The organisation highlighted the scale of participation, with 29.1 million citizens taking part in the planting.
Prime Minister Ahmed reported that by day’s end, 615.7 million saplings had been planted. He said: “We have worked relentlessly to restore the prosperity of our land.”
CHAIN commended the initiative’s aim to combat deforestation and climate change, echoing Mr Ahmed’s statement that Ethiopia stands “for climate balance, line up against soil degradation, and commit to ensuring food security”.
The group encouraged Ethiopia to ensure proper care and monitoring of the saplings, noting this would be crucial for long-term success.
Mr Malik added that Ethiopia’s efforts serve as “an inspiration not just to other African nations, but to the entire world”.
While the Ethiopian government has yet to provide independent verification of the planting figures, if confirmed, this would significantly surpass previous tree-planting records.
