Addis Ababa University (AAU) staff members carried out a tree planting program in Entoto area today, on the 11^th of July 2021 to implement the national agenda “Let’s dress Ethiopia” as the extension of Green Legacy Campaign started two years ago.

Although the university had already started its planting program earlier, this campaign aimed at being part of Gulele Sub-City’s movement to plant one million seedlings in one day.

The program was attended by a number of University staff members, including Mitike Molla (PhD), Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer of AAU.

Abebe Aseffa (PhD), Director for Community Service at the University, told to the staff reporter that the main purpose of planting the seedlings is to cover the degraded areas with forest so as to prevent desertification and to replace immigrant plants like Eucalyptus, with indigenous ones.

“Every exposed area wherever in the country should be covered with plants and regular follow up to those trees has to be taken into account,” Prof. Tassew Weldehanna, President of AAU, mentioned in a similar occasion last year.

“The planting campaign in the AAU campuses will focus on special selection of indigenous pants which vitally fit the Beautification Master Plan of the University,” Prof Tassew further said last year.

According to Abebe, more than 4,500 seedlings were planted by AAU last year buying a seedling for 40 Birr. “We propagated 50,000 seedlings and made ready for planting at a cost of 100,000 Birr this year learning from last year’s extra cost,” he added.

Abebe further stated that AAU is distributing seedlings free of charge to Addis Ababa sub-cities, such as Gulele and Arada, believing that the University cannot complete the plantation alone.

The Green Legacy Campaign was started two years ago by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s (PhD) green initiative to tackle climate change vulnerability of Ethiopia and Eastern Africa as a whole.

By: Abraham Girmay

Photo: Andualem Aseffa