ECA, Government of Ethiopia launch Decade of Action with tree planting, green jobs, livelihoods and health at the center

Abstract

The Economic Commission for Africa and the Government of Ethiopia signed an MoU, to kick off a four-year USD3.6 million project on nature-based solutions for water resources infrastructure and community resilience in Ethiopia. The programme was launched through extensive tree planting efforts carried out in four regions over the last week in Amhara, Oromia and Addis Ababa; and later in Afar, where activities have been postponed due to flooding. According to the MoU, the collaboration is conceived as a tangible step forward towards the Decade of Action, by supporting the Government of Ethiopia to invest in nature-based solutions to tackle climate change and foster a ‘Green Recovery’. The project takes off against the backdrop of African countries losing 3-5% of their GDP on climate change and access to clean energy challenges that have a tragic gender dimension; the majority of the over 3 million people who die from indoor air pollution due to inefficient cooking practices are women in Africa. The initiative aims to stimulate green jobs, improve community livelihoods, enhance the health of rural women and girls, and build climate resilience through nature-based solutions to deforestation and ecosystem degradation. The Green Legacy initiative is ambitious, he said stressing that it aims to reduce the impact of climate change, transform Ethiopia’s relationship to nature to safeguard the ecosystems and provide job opportunities and diversification of income and increase labour productivity.