Deforestation in Ethiopia

There were 4,204 deforestation alerts reported in Ethiopia between the 27th of May 2024 and the 3rd of June 2024, covering a total of 51 ha of which 0.62% were high confidence alerts detected.

Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, a national reforestation program, is preparing to plant more than 6.5 billion tree seedlings in the Upcoming Summer, according to Adefres Worku, the Coordinator of the Initiative’s Technical Committee.

Adefres underscored that the program has already mapped 504,000 hectares of land out of the 1.8 million hectares where soil and water conservation efforts have been undertaken to prepare the sites for planting.

This massive reforestation effort is part of Ethiopia’s broader strategy to address deforestation and ensure food security.

The Green Legacy Initiative is poised to deliver overall efforts to combat the impacts of climate change.

Ethiopia is taking decisive action to address both deforestation and afforestation in a comprehensive effort to mitigate environmental degradation and combat climate change. 

Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD) and Danish Development Aid sides deliberated on ways how best the Danish government could support Ethiopia’s forestry development endeavors.

Through targeted reforestation programs, community engagement, and policy reforms, the country has managed to increase forest cover and reduce deforestation rates.

Innovative initiatives such as the “Green Legacy” campaign, launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, have mobilized millions of Ethiopians to participate in mass tree planting. These efforts have resulted in the planting of billions of trees across the country, contributing to the restoration of degraded landscapes and, the creation of new forested areas along with securing edible fruits and vegetables.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia has signed a landmark agreement with the World Bank’s BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (ISFL) that rewards community efforts to reduce carbon emissions by tackling deforestation and land and forest degradation.

The Emission Reductions Purchase Agreement (ERPA) unlocks up to $40 million that will help communities, government, and stakeholders to reduce carbon emissions and increase carbon sequestration through forest preservation and other environment-friendly land uses. This ERPA marks the first of its kind for ISFL, which will reward efforts to reduce around 4 million metric tons of CO2e [Carbon Dioxide equivalent] emissions through 2030 under Ethiopia’s ambitious Oromia Forested Landscape Program.

Ethiopia had 4,344,000 hectares of natural forests, which is 4% of its total area. Compared to other countries in East Africa, the level of deforestation in Ethiopia is average. However, the rate of deforestation in East Africa is the second highest on the continent. Moreover, the smallest part of its forest area is intended primarily for conservation.

Reforestation programs have resulted in the planting of millions of seedlings in community forests across Ethiopia. Various non-governmental organizations, which had to organize their activities through local peasant associations, complemented the government's efforts to restore Ethiopia's forests. However, critics argue that both systems forced public resources to develop at the expense of private needs. As a result, reforestation programs have not worked. The survival rate of seedlings varied from 5-20% in some areas to 40% in others, mainly due to inadequate maintenance and premature pruning by residents. Addis Ababa was in the process of launching the Ethiopian Forestry Action Plan (EFAP) to improve the conservation of forest areas, increase public participation in reforestation projects and prevent further depletion of existing forest resources.

Since 1973, forest cover has decreased by 11%. This period was characterized by resettlement and village improvement programs, as well as the expansion of state farm programs. 24% of the lost forests occurred as a result of the conversion of 101.28 square kilometers of highland forests into coffee plantations.

The land reform nationalized the timberlands and sawmills that existed mainly in the south. The government controlled the cutting of forest land, and in some cases, individuals had to obtain permits from local peasant associations to cut trees. But this measure encouraged illegal logging and hastened the destruction of Ethiopia's remaining forests. To ensure that conservation activities are in line with government policy and land use directives, reforestation programs or district offices were organized through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to plan, coordinate and supervise all work. Local peasant associations did not have the right to make decisions.

Since the 1950s, private ownership of land has been encouraged through grants of land to government employees and war veterans. During this period, mechanized agriculture becomes more and more attractive. As a result, a large number of the rural population was resettled, including forested areas.
Approximately half of the forest land was privately owned or claimed, and approximately half was owned by the government. Before the Ethiopian Revolution, state control over forestry was largely unchecked.
There was a terrible famine in Ethiopia, especially in the northern part of the country, where there was a severe drought. Thousands of people died. Deforestation has exacerbated the problems caused by drought, as rain is less likely to soak into the soil and replenish groundwater.

About 30% of Ethiopia was covered in forest. The clearing of land for agricultural use and the felling of trees for fuel gradually changed the situation.