Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital city with a population of 5 million is very popular, except for one thing – ubiquitous air pollution that is a constant problem for the residents. The combination of smoke from factories dotting the city, and exhaust from old-model cars, and heat coming off the buildings can make the commute a miserable experience. In addition to the host of health related illnesses that result from exposure to various forms of air pollution.
Many people who move into the capital city are struck by the small amount of green spaces in the city. However, this is slowly changing in the country– for the past few years, several regions and cities in Ethiopia have been planting trees and increasing green spaces to improve the lives of their residents. These approaches will soon reach the capital city of Addis Ababa.
The Ministry of Forestry, Environment and Climate Change (MoFEC) wants to build an integrated approach to spread the benefits of urban greening to the most congested cities like Addis Ababa.
Benefits of Urban Green Spaces
The benefits of urban green spaces are numerous, including cooler and shadier environment, less noise pollution because trees muffle the sound of traffic, and fewer climate changing emissions in the atmosphere.
Yitbetu Moges, the national representative for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation said:
If you have two matured trees, they can absorb one ton of carbon annually
By working with authorities at all levels and parts of the country on urban greening, the ministry aims to make Ethiopia’s cities healthier and also strengthen efforts to curb climate change and adapt to its impacts.
This is a huge step forward in reaching Ethiopia’s primary goal of building a net-zero carbon economy by 2025.
[via News.trust]
