Promoting integrated spatial planning in Ethiopia

Context

The Ethiopian Government's Ten Years Development Plan is the national implementation strategy of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It identifies land-use planning as an important planning tool in industry, infrastructure, and agriculture.

However, most parts of Ethiopia are seeing an unregulated expansion of settlement areas. At the same time, the government promotes investment in land for agricultural production. Combined with high population growth, these factors are leading to increasing competition for land. This causes disputes, especially in peri-urban areas.

The competition between agricultural interests and the growth of settlements in such areas means the interests of certain land uses, such as forests, protected areas and smallholder farms are overlooked, and important ecosystems are being lost.

In addition, the institutional and regulatory framework for integrated land use planning (ILUP) is inadequate and not aligned with international human rights standards.

Objective

The institutional and regulatory framework for integrated land-use planning is improving in line with international human rights standards.

Approach

The project improves the capabilities of land management authorities, civil society groups, and the private sector to develop, legally anchor and pilot participatory and integrated land-use planning by:

• Developing the regulatory abilities of national and regional authorities in integrated land-use planning in line with international human rights standards
• Raising awareness by facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues
• Enhancing local capabilities by improving training and higher education opportunities for professionals as well as promoting application and learning by ensuring that the developed methods, standards and procedures are tested in three pilot regions

The project is being realised in cooperation with ARGE AMBERO Consulting-AHT Group GmbH.

Last update: November 2023