Ethiopia’s plan to plant 5 billion tree seedlings this year as part of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s reforestation initiative has taken off.

The PM’s Green Legacy initiative, kicked off recently with Addis Ababa residents planting trees ahead of the country’s rainy season.

The project aims to tackle the effects of deforestation and climate change in the drought-prone country.

The government hopes to plant 20 billion trees over four years.

Four billion trees were reportedly planted during the entire 2019 rainy season, which runs from June to September.