“Government understands that research is the key way to get out of problems in a short period for our country” said Kebede Yimam, Deputy Commissioner, of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission.
He stated his remark on an annual research review program organized by Ethiopian, Environment and Forest Research Institute (EEFRI) held at Adama recently. On the occasion, people from different walks of life have participated. Among these; House of People’s Representatives standing committee members for Agriculture, Pastoralist and Environmental Protection Affairs, heads of institutions, university instructors and researchers and guests are the noted ones.
Forwarding his warm welcome to the outshining and beauty town of Adama on his opening speech to the workshop participants, Kebede elaborated the need of research to solve multifaceted problems of the country.
“Our country Ethiopia is the land of many natural gifts in which biodiversity is the major one. Ethiopia’s position in biodiversity distribution in Africa and the world is 5th and 25th respectively. Regarding its water resource, it is known as the water tower of Africa. Its variety landscapes and conducive weather are attractions that make it privileged,” he noted.
However, the country, as to the deputy commissioner, has encountered various challenges in developing and utilizing these resources. Though remarkable activities have been carried out by government and the public during the past years aiming to ensure sustainable development, studies indicate that it has been highly exposed to great ecosystem disorder.
According to the study conducted by the commission in collaboration with the World Resource Institute (WRI), over 53 million hectares of land need rehabilitation. Out of this, 11 million hectares need urgent rehabilitation unless otherwise, it will turn to severe desert soon, he stressed.
Adding, he said that the country is experiencing repeated landslide disasters recently more than ever and due to this loss of citizens’ lives in mass has been reported. Moreover, water bodies are being filled by sediments rapidly from time to time which decreases volume of water. This diminish is challenging access to pure water and power supply.
Land degradation, as to the deputy commissioner, occurred due to depletion of these resources affects production and productivity and beyond this it is crystal clear that new pressures are imposed on the natural resource.
“In general, these problems along with exposure to climate change which is becoming worse than ever are making our effort of getting our people out of poverty from fatigue to loss,” he pointed out.
While noting the promising effort of the country he said that it is on the final stage of implementing second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II) to benefit sustainably by developing its natural gifts. To come up with this, circumventing the aforementioned and other problems and in particular designing climate resilient green economic strategy and implementing are underway integrating with the GTP performance.
The forest sector is among the four green development strategic pillars. The country has set a goal and is striving to the success of cultivating over 22 million hectares of forest land by 2030 aiming to withstand effect of climate change. For the success to come true, the country has prepared and carrying out implementation of 10 years forest sector development program, bamboo development strategy and action plan and red investment program.
As it is recalled by everyone, over 350 million seedlings were planted in only one day last year at the green legacy day. Institutionalizing, making systematically governed and sustainable such good deed will enable the country escape from land degradation problem it has trapped with as a nation. It is recognizable that vast implementation of green development is also highly beneficial in fulfilling the ever growing need for forest products, he stated.
Nonetheless, to solve the aforementioned multifaceted problems, ensuring sustainable natural treasury development and elevating the country out of poverty need technology supply and trained human resource. Government is striving to solve the problem of the sector by organizing environment and forest research institute acknowledging the decisive role of research in the sector.
The government is undertaking this duty based on belief that sustainable environmental protection and usage can be assured only by knowledge and the supply of technology. Thus, to govern this knowledge and technology based desire efficiently; Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute (EEFRI) is researching environment, forest and climate.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission also believes that lasting environment protection and forest utilization can be assured only when supported by research so that the research should be conducted firmly, the deputy commissioner stressed.
However, as to the deputy commissioner, it is hard to believe that the information supply and technology at hand is compatible with the problem the country encountered. It should be taken into consideration that the technology supply should be undertaken in more rapid way than it had been in previous times and current status to solve the problem.
The research institute should carry out its duties with great discipline integrated with stakeholders aiming to assure sustainable environment and forest protection and utilization and also to reduce vulnerability of the country to climate change.
The research agenda, as a developing country, should answer a question ‘what has to be done to transform life of poor farmers and pastoralists.’ Unless the research outcomes are capable to solve complicated problems, it is merely wastage of time and resource. No more space to any kind of shelved research outcomes, he emphasized.
Abiyot Berhanu (PhD), Director General, Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute, for his part said that EEFRI is mainly institutionalized to import technologies and information that are focusing on environment, forest and climate change, adopt them, generate new ones and provide to beneficiaries.
In order to run this effectively, the institute is undertaking its duties organizing in eight research directorates, two coordination, seven centers and one sub center. Since its foundation five years ago, it has been conducting various researches.
Currently, the institute is performing researches on environment, forest preservation, tree seed, forest outputs and microorganisms in about six laboratories. “On the other hand,” said the director “we are working on 25 tree seed origins and many other research sites to the fruitfulness of the research.”
Regarding information and technology accessibility; 57 anecdata and 18 technology packages have been provided to beneficiaries and concerned bodies in two volumes and many other printing outlets until now. Besides, pre scaling up extension in about eight technologies is underway, he noted.
The Ethiopian Herald March 31/2020
BY BACHA ZEWDIE
