ADDIS ABABA – Environment experts said that policy harmonization is needed among stakeholders to achieve better outcome and pave ways to materialize Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A researcher at the Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute, Climate Science Research Directorate Dr. Adefrse Worku told The Ethiopian Herald that the nation’s Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy (CRGE) brings a number of ministries together including the agriculture, environment, climate and forestry commissions as well as water and energy among others.
The ministries though have their own notable policies; there is limitation in harmonizing activities which in turn has its own impact on the efforts made to build resilient communities. For instance, Ministry of Agriculture has set plans to expand a very large area of land for agriculture purpose; and most would fall on forestlands and challenging the conservation of forestlands.
“We need to sit down and discuss on it before it is implemented.” The forest coverage of the country currently stands at 15 percent, and Ethiopia has pledged to itself and international communities to grow it to 20 percent by 2020 through its CRGE strategy.
Similarly, while 22 million hectares of degraded land is expected to be rehabilitated by 2030, it is planned to grow forest sector’s contribution to national economy from four percent to eight, in this same period of time.
Ethiopia is committed to conserve its forest resource more than ever before and realize its environmental policy accordingly, but still the CRGE line ministries should show readiness in harmonizing efforts. Environment, Forest and Climate Change National REDD+ Commission Director Dr. Yitebitu Moges, for his part uttered as there is gap in policy harmonization among the sectors.
The get-out, in turn, is challenging the efforts made by each ministry. For instance, the agriculture investment vs. the green economy of nation direction mismatches in practice. “We know the smallholder agriculture is more complicated to control and the impact is so minimal as compared to the huge investment on agriculture that is in the hand of the public.
The worst case is that lands are transferred without due inspection of environment impact assessment. This has to be reviewed and corrected, he added.
The Ethiopian Herald, May 8/2019
BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
