Ethiopia launched a national forest restoration programme this year with the ambitious goal of planting four billion trees in just three months.

The wider campaign came to attention on one day in July, when people across the country came out to plant 3.5 billion seedlings.

Towards the end of August, the government claimed it had largely achieved the target.

But is it possible to plant so many trees in so short a time, and is there any evidence that the government's overall goal was met?

The campaign, known as the Green Legacy Initiative, was led by the country's Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister, Abiy Ahmed.

Politicians around the world have taken Ethiopia as an example for restoring forests in their own countries.

World leaders also believe Ethiopia has shown what can be done to counter climate change and the harmful effects of farming.

During the United Kingdom's recent election campaign, the main political parties pledged to plant millions more trees and cited Ethiopia's initiative as an example.

The Labour Party pledged two billion trees by 2040, the Conservatives at least 30 million trees a year, and the Green Party 700 million trees by 2030.

Canada is also planning to plant two billion trees within 10 years.

Source: BBC Bangla. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.