ADDIS ABABA—Ethiopia is pioneering the inclusion of a course in its higher education system with a view to empowering the generation to come and build resilience, so said senior officials.
Speaking at the workshop held on Monday, Addis Ababa University Acting President, Samuel Kifle (PhD) said that the Government of Ethiopia is highly valuing the role of climate education for climate resilience, as demonstrated by supporting climate change and adaptation in its research centers and universities, recognizing climate in thematic research, and streamlining academic programs and curricula.
Smallholder farmers and pastoralists, who drive the economy, have been most affected by extreme weather events, water shortages, heat stress, droughts, floods, and pests have hit agriculture and food systems hard, so the country is taking bold steps to address the climate crisis through education.
Despite the pressing need for climate education, Ethiopia’s higher education institutions have historically lacked courage of attaching emphasis on climate change in their curricula.
UNESCO- IICBA Director, Quentin Wodon (PhD) on his part emphasized the need for more research and understanding to be carried out on human capacity in teaching climate change and related topics.
He recommended collaboration between universities, research institutes, and partners to assess the human wealth around climate change thereby benefiting not only Ethiopia but also other countries in the continent.
Furthermore, former senior university official and researcher at AICCRA Ethiopia Berhanu Belay (Prof.) on his part stated that the rigorous process involved in introducing new knowledge and facts in academia, and how it is later disseminated to society.
“Universities are well-positioned to facilitate the generation of knowledge and its dissemination through community services and outreach programs,” he said.
He said, “Ethiopia is poised to become a regional and continental leader in building a climate-resilient future by equipping its future generations with the knowledge and tools to address climate-related challenges.”
Participants agreed to integrate climate education into Ethiopia’s undergraduate curriculum through the national curriculum review process.
As the nation embarks on this transformative journey, the world will be watching closely, hoping that Ethiopia is taking pioneering steps to inspire other nations in the region and the continent to take similar actions in the fight against climate change.
The workshop themed, “Streamlining climate basics in higher education curricula in Ethiopia,’’ was jointly organized by the Ministry of Education, in association with UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA), Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority and AICCRA project based at ILRI Ethiopia.
BY ASHENAFI ANIMUT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2023
