Addis Ababa: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stressed the need to protect the existing forests and continue increasing forest coverage of Ethiopia by planting tree seedlings. Ethiopians across the nation are planting tree seedlings under the motto: 'A Nation that Plants; A Generation that Sustains,' during this rainy season. This rainy season, Ethiopia plans to plant 7.5 billion tree seedlings part of the Green Legacy Initiative campaign being underway across the country over the past five years. The goal for this year is to reach 40 billion seedlings from the overall target of 50 billion. Ethiopia has so far planted more than 32.5 tree seedlings. Prime Minister Abiy last Friday called on Ethiopians to make history by planting 600 million tree seedlings in a single day during tree planting program scheduled to take place August 23, 2024 and break their own previous planting record. Furthermore, in his message posted on social media today, PM Abiy noted that forests are vital for the planet's health and human w ell-being. "They provide oxygen, store carbon, and regulate the climate, helping to mitigate climate change. Forests are also home to a vast array of biodiversity, offering habitat to millions of species." Therefore, he urged, "Let's protect our existing forests and continue increasing our forest coverage by planting. Get ready for August 23rd!" Recalled that the 2022/2023 overnight Green Legacy programs, over 566 million saplings have planted, which laid the groundwork for restoring Ethiopia's forests and safeguarding water resources. As part of the ongoing tree planting activities, Ethiopia's forest cover had increased to 23.6 percent in 2023 from 17.2 percent in 2019. Source : Ethiopian News Agency