Ethiopia has claimed a world record, with more than 350 million trees having been planted in that country in a single day.
Getahun Mekuria, minister of innovation and technology, told media that 353 million trees were planted on Monday, well above a target of 200 million trees planted in one day.
“Today Ethiopia is set in our attempt to break the world record together for a green legacy,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had tweeted earlier.
His government is planning to plant a staggering four billion trees between May and October to restore the country’s landscape, which has been eroded by deforestation and climate change.
Less than 4 per cent of Ethiopia is forested, compared to 30 per cent at the end of the 19th century.
And may we Maltese emulate our Ethiopian friends on this one. It would take a smaller number for a small group of islands. But we need our trees! https://t.co/Bzdq89eMfT pic.twitter.com/aw6uOnDviU
— Bishop CJ Scicluna (@BishopScicluna) July 30, 2019
More than 2.6 billion trees have been planted as part of the current campaign.
In 2017 India set a record by planting 66 million trees in a year.
Ethiopia made the record headlines for an altogether different reason in 1984 when singers Bob Geldof and Midge Ure penned 'Feed the world, let them know it's Christmas time' to raise funds for Ethiopia's starving population. The record, by Band Aid, grouped artistes from around the globe. It sold a million copies in the first week of its release in early December 1984, and went on to be the fastest-selling UK single of all time.