Temesgen Desalegn

An Ethiopian environmental engineer whose community-driven reforestation projects have transformed desertified regions while creating sustainable livelihoods for rural populations.

Temesgen Desalegn is a visionary environmentalist leading Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiative, which planted over 6 billion trees between 2020-2023 - the largest single-country afforestation effort in history. As founder of the African Forest Restoration Network, he developed the 'Agroforestry 3.0' model combining native tree species with drought-resistant crop cultivation. His 2021 book <《Sustainable Landscapes in the Horn of Africa》 proposes a climate-smart agriculture framework adopted by 12 African nations. Desalegn's 2023 partnership with NASA's Earth Observatory uses satellite data to monitor carbon sequestration in degraded landscapes, featured in National Geographic's March 2023 cover story. He also pioneered the 'Women's Tree Banks' initiative, providing microloans secured by tree seedlings that have empowered 50,000+ Ethiopian women. His TEDxAddisAbaba talk <《How Trees Can Revive a Nation》 has become required viewing in African environmental studies programs.