Ethiopia Rising is the story of the phenomenal environmental transformation of a nation told through the experience of one man, Aba Hawi, who mobilizes an entire community to regenerate the surrounding hillsides, and in doing so saved his village from certain extinction. For a generation brought up on Live-Aid with its images of a desperate nation, little has emerged in the mainstream media to correct this. Ethiopia Rising goes a long way to challenge these out-of-date perceptions.

This 60 minute documentary presents stunning images of the landscapes of northern Ethiopia and insights into the hardships, challenges and accomplishments of the people of this region. The film shows how they overcame drought and conflicts, and mobilized themselves to restore the forests and regenerate the soil and water resources that are the source of their livelihoods and well-being.

To read more about Ethiopia and its commitment to restoring degraded land, read our recent blog How Ethiopia Went from Famine Crisis to Green Revolution by Chris Reij, Senior Fellow in the WRI Forests program.

Chris Reij is the Associate Producer of Ethiopia Rising and WRI provided support for the film.  As Chris says, “It’s a compelling story that touches the heart and the mind and it's so relevant in this year with the COPs of UNCCD and UNFCCC, and to our efforts to launch an African initiative to bring millions of hectares of degraded forest landscapes into the process of restoration by 2030.

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