United Nations recognizes forest restoration project in Ethiopia

The United Nations Environment Programme recognized the Desa’a project as a World Restoration Flagship during a biodiversity conference in Yerevan, Armenia.

This project aims to restore forests in the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia, specifically in the Tigray region. The initiative focuses on the Afromontane ecosystem, which consists of dryland forests located at elevations above 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) and serves as a habitat for the endangered Ethiopian wolf and gelada monkey.

The restoration effort addresses a critical environmental decline in the area. When the project began in 2016, an estimated 74% of the Desa’a Forest had already disappeared. Currently, 70% of the remaining forest is considered degraded. Restoration work in these forests helps maintain carbon storage and supports cloud formation. The United Nations Environment Programme says the flagship status provides the project with technical, monitoring, and advocacy support.

Doreen Lynn Robinson, a deputy director at the agency, stated that the recognition aims to inspire others to revive nature by bringing stakeholders together to solve common problems.