ADDIS ABABA – A regional program aimed at supporting climate adaptation for livestock and pastoralism in Eastern Africa was officially launched today, through a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The initiative, covering seven countries, focuses on enhancing the resilience of pastoral and agropastoral communities to climate change.
According to the Ethiopian News Agency, the program will operate in four cross-border cluster areas: Mandera, Karamoja, Mara-Sereneti, and Bahr Al Arab, impacting Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Ethiopia is notably active in the Mandera and Karamoja clusters. Funded by the European Union with a total budget of 47 million Euros, Ethiopia’s specific allocation is 6.25 million Euros.
State Minister of Agriculture, Fikru Regasa, emphasized the significance of the program in combating climate change effects, particularly in pastoral regions. The partnership with FAO seeks to implement strategies that address the multifunctional role of livestock in economic, social, and cultural spheres within these communities. Farayi Zimudzi, FAO Representative to Ethiopia, highlighted that the program aligns with FAO’s strategic objectives of promoting better production, nutrition, environment, and life quality. The Ministry of Agriculture will lead the implementation, coordinating efforts at various governmental levels to ensure the program’s success.