Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative is a successful project that needs to be replicated across the region to mitigate climate change, South Sudan Environment Undersecretary Joseph Africano Bartel said.

In exclusive interview with Ethiopian News Agency, Bartel said projects like the Green Legacy that have proven successful by planting billions of trees should be replicated in the countries of the region.

“I think that all countries should imitate the Green Legacy, cooperate in combating climate change, and ensure that all agricultural projects underway are implemented in different countries,” he added.

The undersecretary confirmed that South Sudan has received a number of seedlings from Ethiopia and planted them.

“The effects of the environment will not wait for us, but the most important thing is to make sure that we exploit and manage our natural resources in a sustainable manner. We must also satisfy the present and future generations in Africa.”

Bartel further called for a unified position of Africans, especially with regard to climate financing and climate adaptation, as they are among the least influential in carbon emissions, amounting to less than 5 percent of global emissions; but are among the most affected regions.

“A unified African position in the field of climate finance, adaptation and negative impacts is very important. We need a unified position that makes us work with one voice, and I am happy with the work being done by the group of African negotiators.”

Andres Gulwak, also a South Sudanese, said “I commend the initiative of the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, because he showed us how to give priority to agriculture. I have seen that Ethiopia has invested a lot in agriculture and put its trust in agriculture. I think it is in the hands of us, the African countries, especially the neighboring countries to adapt this.”

According to him, South Sudan has learned a lot by giving priority to agriculture and the green initiative.

Gulwak, who has traveled to some regions of Ethiopia, stated that Ethiopia must be encouraged and move forward in the sustainability of environmental preservation as it also has contributions to the development of the country.

He stressed the importance of liberalizing financing, unity, communication and benefiting from environmental resources through achieving inclusiveness and cooperation between countries and involving groups of experts that have experience in their field for a sustainable solution to the problems of climate change in Africa.

The expert urged African countries to cooperate and share good experiences with other countries, especially neighboring countries.

Note that Ethiopia had sent saplings under the slogan “Green Brotherhood” to neighboring countries, including Djibouti, South Sudan and Somalia, among others.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency