Satellite observations reveal large-scale restoration interventions reversing deforestation in Ethiopia

Land degradation, deforestation and climate change have exacerbated droughts in Ethiopia, severely threatening its agriculture dependent economy. This led to large-scale restoration initiatives such as Sustainable Land Management Program (SLMP), Reduction of Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) and the Green Legacy Initiative (GLI). GLI reported planting 32 billion trees since 2019, yet evidence remains limited. Here, we developed a deep learning framework robust to geolocation errors to monitor nationwide canopy height dynamic at 10m resolution to conduct intervention specific outcome assessments. We found a net gain of 23,537 km² in tree cover with trees above 8m height over the period 2019-2024. The large gain in young trees offsetting loss of tall trees is attributed to recent tree planting initiatives such as the GLI, REDD+, SLMP and expansion of commercial plantation by the small landholder farmers. SLMP and REDD+ interventions yielded the largest mean canopy height gains albeit in smaller areas. Our results demonstrate measurable evidence that large-scale restoration interventions in Ethiopia are reversing the long-standing deforestation trends in the country.