Ethiopian National Drylands Restoration Strategy

Pastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa (PENHA) has collaborated with CIFOR-ICRAF and Tropenbos International to produce the Ethiopian National Drylands Restoration Strategy 

PENHA (2022)  Ethiopian National Drylands Restoration Strategy #82 p

The development of this strategy was overseen and endorsed by the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Ethiopian Forestry Development. 

The strategy addresses four thematic areas: 

1. integrated natural resource management; 
2. land governance; 
3. livelihoods, value chains and markets; and 
4. policy alignment and sectoral coordination. 

It covers not only agriculture (crop, livestock and tree husbandry) but also the water, mining and geothermal energy sectors.

The strategy is based on “modern and mobile” pastoralism and transhumance, with mixed-farming systems in the higher dryland areas. It seeks more efficient use of water resources to support dryland cropping as well as livestock keeping, the mainstay of dryland livelihoods and a major contributor to the national economy. 

Crop farming is to be made more efficient and productive, rather than expansion of low-productivity cropping into lowland areas used by pastoralists.

The strategy reflects the Ethiopian Government’s increased commitment to development in the drylands and its recognition of their importance for climate-change mitigation, as it accounts for an estimated 70% of Ethiopia’s potential for sequestering carbon.