As Ethiopia is winning international acceptance through its Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy, it has achieved tangible result in the fight against climate change. Information from the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission indicates that the country is experiencing the effects of climate change.
Besides the direct effects, such as an increase in average temperature or a change in rainfall patterns, climate change also presents the necessity and opportunity to switch to a new, sustainable development model. The Government has therefore initiated the Climate-Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) initiative to protect the country from the adverse effects of climate change and to build a green economy that will help realize its ambition of reaching middle income status before 2025.
Since February 2011, the CRGE initiative, under the leadership of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Environmental Protection Authority, and the Ethiopian Development Research Institute, has been developing a strategy to build a green economy. Seven sectoral teams involving over 50 experts from more than 20 leading government institutions have been driving the initiative. The objective lies to identify green economy opportunities that could help Ethiopia reach its ambitious growth targets while keeping greenhouse gas emissions low.
In this regard, the government has been endeavoring to attract development partners to help implement this new and sustainable growth model. Not only this, the country aims to achieve middle-income status by 2025 while developing a green economy. Following the conventional development path would, among other adverse effects, result in a sharp increase in GHG emissions and unsustainable use of natural resources.
To avoid such negative effects, the government has developed a strategy to build a green economy. It is now starting to transform the strategy into action and welcomes collaboration with domestic and international partners. Thus, the Commission is doing its level best regarding discharging its responsibility and facilitating the climate works targeting major plans. The plan includes the following core agendas. Improving crop and livestock production practices for higher food security and farmer income while reducing emissions.
Protecting and re-establishing forests for their economic and ecosystem services, including as carbon stocks. Expanding electricity generation from renewable sources of energy for domestic and regional markets and leapfrogging to modern and energy-efficient technologies in transport, industrial sectors, and buildings.
To follow a green growth path that fosters development and sustainability The ClimateResilient Green Economy (CRGE) initiative follows a sectoral approach and has so far identified and prioritized more than 60 initiatives, which could help the country achieve its development goals while limiting 2030 GHG emissions to around today’s 150 Mt CO2e – around 250 Mt CO2e less than estimated under a conventional development path. The green economy plan is based on four pillars: As part of this effort, the country is currently undertaking massive dry season environment protection with the participation of farmers, women and youths. And, over 13 million people are participating in the natural resource conservation activities. Public and International Relations Director at the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) Alemayehu Brehanu told The Ethiopian Herald that in this Ethiopian dry season, massive natural resource conservation activities is carried out.
To this effect, short term training is provided for over 300,000 farmers on environmental protection. Having trained farmers will have substantial contribution to protect environment and promote conservation activities, he added. As to him, a total of 13.6 million people, including agricultural experts are also taking part in natural resource conservation and environmental protection campaign which is already commenced throughout the country.
Scientific natural resource conservation tools will also be applied so as to bring about sustainable outcomes from the conservation activities. And the 300,000 farmers have also trained in scientific natural resource conservation mechanisms. Accordingly, alongside to natural resource conservation, drainage development activity will be held in line with guiding natural conservation principles to curb the impact of climate change.
The active involvement of pertinent stakeholders is fundamental to realize the nation’s endeavors to realize its CRGE strategies. Currently, the environment protection activities are going well in every regional state, he said. “The main objective of the natural resource and environmental conservation is to realize food self sufficiency through boosting production and productivity at a household and national level.”
The country is internationally known and accredited for undertaking successful and whole participatory environmental protection, adding that, the youths are playing an indispensable role in this regard. Thus, promoting such anti-climate change efforts is required to gain more international influence, according to him.
According to him, the ultimate objective of the massive environment protection movement is to boost production and productivity through curbing climate change impacts. And farmers play an indispensable role in environmental conservation. Thus, they should be assisted well to strengthen such activities.
The Ethiopian Herald, February 13/2019
BY TEWODROS KASSA
