More than 100 world leaders will promise to end and reverse deforestation by 2030, in COP26 climate summit’s first major deal. Experts welcomed the move, but warned a previous deal in 2014 had ‘failed to slow deforestation at all’ and commitments needed to be delivered on.
Approached by The Ethiopian Herald, Dr. Melese Mario, a Botanist said countries have had a plan for ecosystem restoration. Ecosystem restoration is a mechanism to restore the ecosystem as it was before. This is one.
There are some instances which forced a given country to retreat. If you see the case of Ethiopia, there are some activities have been done directly or indirectly connected with ecosystem restoration such as food security, irrigation development, arid area agriculture and etc. In addition, there is also home grown economic development programme which elapsed for ten years. These are promising moves which inclined one to boldly speak about its success.
The green legacy, which is a good model for other countries, is also another factor that contributes to restore the ecosystem. It started by the initiative of high level government officials and all the people joined in it with high caliber. This is also another aspect which increases your hopes.
Here everybody should notice that the green legacy and ecosystem restoration are two faces of coin. Here, the plantation of vegetable fruits which have greater advantage not only to decreasing climate change, it confidently ensures food security. Such sort of moves should not be one time agenda; it would rather every citizen should internalize it.
There is one important concept in the world, all the world talk about bringing transformational change. This means every country has its own responsibility to change itself. Thus, there should be behavioral change.
We have to work day and night in order to come out of dependency syndrome. If all the stakeholders and the people at large involved in it, I can say Ethiopia would be among the list of countries champion via hitting the target of declining degradation by 2030. However, in order to do so, handling one alternative is not advisable. All the other activities should be practical uniformly. In short, we need to have multi-sectoral economic development. For instance, the strategies of the homegrown economic development of Ethiopia are an integrated one.
When you work in agriculture sector, for instance, we should invite the private sector to involve in it. The technology should also be upgraded through the high level engagement of the private sector. The mining sector which has a potential to earn huge amount of foreign currency has not been touched so far.
Drip irrigation is another best practice that should be drawn from other countries like Israel. Though they are known by desert, countries like Israel are producing and exporting vegetable and fruits using drip irrigation techniques. We need to initiate our farmers to produce more fruits and vegetables applying the same technology and increase our income.
If we strive more and exploit all the opportunities available, nobody can stop us from realizing it. As many African countries expected more from Ethiopia, we have to work to be a model for them. South America countries are now working more on ecosystem preservation via protecting 30 to 40 percent of their land. If you protect the ecosystem, you can decline climate change impacts. Ethiopia’s green economy initiative was highly recognized in 2011. If we go through the strategy coordinating partners, the target may be achievable.
On the other hand, you may lose confidence noticing various threats for instance internal conflicts. We have to resolve all the hindrance so as to realize all round developments. Indeed, climate change is a very challenging issue. In Borena area a, for instance, pastoralists are on the verge of losing their cattle’s.
What is more, we have various industries and there may be pollution related issues which will affect the climate change while the sector is growing well and good. Thus, we have to do climate monitoring tasks. Continuous environmental impact assessment is also critical.
Above all, population explosion is a threat. The increasing rate of population growth is another threat even if some scholars are not considering it as pulling factor o ensure development. As a professional, I firmly said population issues should be taken into account. As we have huge amount of jobless youth residing in the country, we could not say it is not a threat to us.
Of the total population, some 40 percent of it is under the age of 15. Unless we are facilitating conditions such as job opportunities, it may be a threat. We need to train the society in order to bring behavioral change and creates their jobs. It is a threat for the environment. For instance, all the natural resources whether in biosphere reserve, national park or reserved areas, can be protected only if citizens feed themselves .thus we need to think about it.
The other thing is, developed countries had pledged to donate 100 billion USD for poor countries in order to decline the climate change impacts. They deny their pledge as conditions are not mandatory and yet not implemented. There has been direct or indirect impact.
Even if Ethiopia has been producing heat compression gases and the impact of others comes in, this happens in order to prevent that.
What has been carried out in Ethiopia is good. It may hit the target. The presence of industry, mechanized agriculture, modernize small holder farming system to agro forestry is also good. Livestock and fishing system should also develop independently. If we are involved in diversified issue we would be successful.
BY GIRMACHEW GASHAW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD NOVEMBER 2/2021
