Being a developing country in subSahara Africa, Ethiopia is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change and global warming induced by carbon emission. Sectors such as agriculture, water, energy, health, and education are the most affected ones.
Cognizant of this phenomenon, to overcome the problem, the government has been implementing its adaptation program which is the component of the Climate Resilient Green Economy since 2009. In order to revitalize the program, the Commission for Environment Forest and Climate Change (CEFCC) in collaboration with donors has recently organized a consultative meeting here in the capital Addis Ababa. On the occasion, CEFCC Commissioner, Fikadu Beyene said that Ethiopia’s share in emitting gasses to the atmosphere is insignificant yet critically suffers from the consequence of climate change.
It has embarked on implementing an adaptation program which is casketed from the UN plan to reverse the situation. He further said that Ethiopia is impacted by the immediate effect of climate change. The pervasive floods and droughts have critically endangered the livelihood of the poor.
Therefore, implementing the adaptation mechanism has been taken as a way forward. Enhancing food security by improving agricultural productivity in a climate-friendly manner, improving access to potable water and strengthening sustainable natural resource management through protecting geographic areas and water shades is essential.
According to the commissioner, as part of building climate resilient agriculture, supplying drought resistant and improved seeds, pesticides and other inputs boost productivity. Water harvesting and the practice of small scale irrigation farms and the construction of warehouses also help farmers to withstand the uncertain climatic situation. The construction of sustainable infrastructures such as roads, health facilities and schools in the rural parts of the country brings positive outcomes in reducing climate impacts.
In times of food shortage during the drought season, dispatching humanitarian assistance curbs devastation in human as well as animal life. The National Adaptation Plan global network county director Angie Daze on her part said that the implementation of such a plan at country level should be supported by donors in terms of providing updated climate information obtained from satellite, capacity building through training human resources and managing projects at the grassroots level.
The program also encompasses monitoring and information sharing with the expected outcomes being articulation, clear pathways, enhanced coordination and strategic investment which targets sustainable development. Food security is one of the major components of the program because the agriculture sector is immediately hit by drought and over flooding. In a time of food shortage, not only farmers but also urban residents face challenges due to the soaring food prices, hence working from food production up to the supply of each household diligently is essential.
Side by side with these, the global network supports the Ethiopian government through providing a Climate Resilient Green Economy operational manual, disaster risk management system and advising on issues of climate negotiation. While reflecting his views in this regard, the World Bank environmental advisor Kahssay Hagos said that based on the Paris Agreement which took place in 2015, the process is undergoing to channel funds from the economically advanced countries to the developing world to support their adaptation efforts. Adaptation is taken as a wayout mechanism at the international level because climate change and global warming threaten mankind. It affects lives and livelihoods of women, children, and men and has high implications on the economy in addition to escalating poverty. The national adaptation plan integrates the climate change adaptation program into the development plan because every development scheme should go in line with the well-being of the environment. Currently, the nation is registering rapid economic growth and for that, both domestic and foreign investment played a crucial role.
However, before launching any investment project, an environmental impact assessment has to be undertaken. This should be a priority agenda. For decades, expanding manufacturing industries and construction works were undergone arbitrarily without scrutinizing their negative impacts. Industries drained their waste in the nearby river basins. Forests are cleared for the sake of expanding industrial farms. As a result, water points dried up, animals sheltering in the forest migrated to neighboring countries and rainwater turned into floods.
Pertinent institutions which have a stake in investment have been doing their businesses without considering the consequences of their activities. Such negligence has made the country and its posterity pay a huge price. Therefore, not to repeat the past misdeeds, each economic endeavor should consider the utilization of natural resources in a sustainable way. According to Kahssay, development should not be a short term plan. It should be designed strategically, and for its effectiveness, the plan must be country-driven, participatory with a sense of ownership, gender responsive, consider vulnerable groups and utilize viable technology.
Furthermore, it should be a mechanism to create a platform among the government, civil society, private sector and pursue cross and multisectoral approaches. “Implementing an adaptation mechanism in a country where agriculture is the mainstay of the economy should be taken as a viable solution because we feel the climate impact in our day to day life.”
Herald March 21/2019
BY ABEBE WOLDE GIORGIS
