Ethiopia is one of the fast growing economies in Africa and in the world (IMF, 2010). It plans to achieve climate resilient and green middle income economy status by 2025 with zero net emission. This ambition has been formalized in the Ethiopian GTP.
Documents revealed that a Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy (CRGE) of Ethiopia was developed in 2011 and launched at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban, in 2011.
The overriding development agenda of the GTP is to sustain rapid, broad-based and equitable economic growth path witnessed during the past several years and eventually end poverty (GTP, 2010). The GTP envisages that the country’s GDP per capita would grow from 378 USD in 2010 to 1271 USD in 2025. Besides, the CRGE strategy projects that the contribution of agriculture will diminish from 42 percent to 29 percent, indicating migration of jobs from the agriculture sector to industry and services (MoFED, GTP, 2010).
There are social, economic and others big challenges posed by climate change. Unfortunately this challenge cannot be addressed by the effort of one country alone. Although Ethiopia is poised to do whatever is necessary and within its capacity through the Country’s CRGE strategy, climate change requires a global response.
The CRGE has three complementary Objectives: first it aims for fostering economic development and growth. And while ensuring abatement and avoidance of future emissions, i.e. transition to a green economy is its second objective, improving resilience to climate change is the last one.
The CRGE strategy also has four pillars. While adoption of agriculture and land use efficiency measures is the first pillar it mainly concerned on reducing deforestation by agricultural intensification and irrigation of degraded land. Protection and rehabilitation of forests for their economic and ecosystem services including as carbon stocks, deployment of renewable and clean power generation and use of appropriate advanced technologies in industry, transport, and buildings are the rest of its pillars.
Kibebework Getachew, Forest Ecosystem Service Valuation and Carbon Measurement Director at Environment Forest and Climate Change Commission (EFCCC) said that the commission is working on the CRGE plan.
She stated that different research has been conducted in order to actively practice the plan despite some challenges like lack of sectorial integration to adopt and interpret the plan. She also recommended that it is important to strengthen the implementation of the strategy. And the government and all stakeholders should work cooperatively to achieve this plan, she noted.
Documents also revealed that GDP growth of Ethiopia has direct correlation with rainfall availability. Therefore, for Ethiopia, development and implementation of a holistic CRGE strategy is imperative. It is a key to address poverty, enhance economic growth & ensure sustainable development of the country
Meanwhile, Tilaye Negussie, Forest Sector Transformation Director at the Commission said that the current forest coverage of Ethiopia is estimated to be 15 percent adding that forest cover estimation is not done annually.
“A study conducted in 2016 shows that the contribution of the forest sector for GDP is 12.8 percent including timber and non-timber forest products. It must be said that Ethiopia has a huge potential for forest development and could reduce the huge import bill estimated at more than USD 300, 000,” he added.
Tilaye further stated that the forest sector is critically important for Ethiopia’s economic growth and development. For example the long-term survival (useful life span) of the Grand Ethiopian Renascence Dam (GERD) will depend on the protection and restoration of the landscape around the dam, and further away from it.
Moreover he stated that forest conservation is not totally the task of the government. But each stake holder especially religious institutions and NGOS should work hard in this area, he noted. As to him, giving the severity of land degradation, deforestation and forest degradation and huge mobilization of resources is very important.
“The contribution of various actors has been, is and will be important. Already, there are several places of worship and NGOs that are involved in rehabilitating degraded lands through planting tree seedlings, water and soil conservation,” he pronounced.
The Ethiopian Herald August 1, 2020
BY HIZKEL HAILU
