Rehabilitating landscapes for improved livelihoods in Ethiopia
Project description
Title: European Union Support to the Sustainable Land Management Programme (EU Support to SLMP)
Commissioned by: European Union (EU)
Country: Ethiopia
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MoANR)
Overall term: 2016 – 2020
Context
Agriculture in Ethiopia is characterised by unsustainable use of natural resources, leading to soil erosion and land degradation. High population growth amplifies the effects, particularly in the highlands. Pressure on land is also increasing in the lowlands where declining grazing areas and the expansion of invasive plant species minimise grazing options for livestock. Moreover, climate change has a negative impact on agricultural productivity. As a result, food insecurity is a growing concern whilst eco-regions are increasingly threatened.
The project is working in the periphery of the Bale Mountains National Park and the Yayu Forest Biosphere Reserve. These eco-regions are situated in the Oromia region in central Ethiopia. In both eco-regions protection from human activities is insufficient, even in the core zones. In order to minimise the land pressure on the protected areas, economic activities are, therefore, allowed within defined limits in the buffer and transitional zones.
Objective
Food security, livelihoods and the economic well-being of Ethiopia’s farmers and herders are improving while pressure on land and natural resources is being reduced. Cultivation measures in agriculture are more efficient and environmentally friendly. The impact of agriculture on land degradation and soil erosion has been reduced.
Approach
EU Support to the Sustainable Land Management Programme (SLMP) is fully integrated into the Ethiopian Government’s rural development flagship programme, the Sustainable Land Management Programme.
In its implementation, EU Support to SLMP follows a holistic eco-regional approach that promotes the conservation of natural resources while strengthening livelihood activities. The project focuses on three components with specific objectives:
- Investments in Integrated Watershed and Landscape Management
Scale-up and adopt sustainable land and water management technologies and practices by smallholder farmers and communities in the selected watersheds/districts. - Capacity Development of Sustainable Land Management Service Providers, Knowledge Management and Institutional Framework Development
Strengthen capacities, knowledge and skills of key stakeholders (communities, public and private service providers, public administration) involved in sustainable land management. - Programme Management
Establish and operationalise effective programme portfolio management and coordination at the federal, regional, zonal and district levels.