Addis Ababa — Ethiopians along with the members of the international community based in the country will plant 700 million seedlings today as part of the Green Legacy Initiative of the country.

Ethiopians have been fulfilling their responsibility in protecting the global environment by planting over 40 billion trees in the past six years.

It has been few years since the initiative to plant millions of seedlings in a single day commenced.

In the inaugural year, 350 million seedlings were planted, while last year saw an increase to 615.7 million. A total of 29.1 million citizens participated in the mass planting event last year.

When the annual planting initiative was launched last year, it was reported that Ethiopia's forest coverage had risen from 17.2 percent in 2019 to 23.6 percent, thanks to the endeavors of the Green Legacy Initiative.

This morning, citizens across the nation commenced the planting of 700 million seedlings as part of the initiative.

Ethiopians, from all walks of life, have been participating in this ambitious afforestation initiative which aspires to bring a healthy environment not only for Ethiopia but to the entire region and the globe.