Government of Ethiopia Launches Resilience Program with USAID Support
H.E. Dr. Endrias Geta
Ethiopia’s federal Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands (MILLs) in collaboration with USAID/Ethiopia launched the Partnership for Lowlands Resilience Activity (PLRA) on January 10, 2024 in Addis Ababa. The launch event drew more than 80 representatives of the regional and federal government, USAID and its implementing partners, bilateral and multilateral organizations, civil society organizations, regional universities, and the media.
The objective of this USAID-funded Activity is to foster collaboration among a range of development partners and agencies working to build resilience in Ethiopia's lowland areas. The Partnership for Lowland Resilience Activity will be implemented as one component of the Champions for Food Security Activity.
The Partnership represents a new way of working in the country’s lowlands. Under the leadership of MILLs, it will foster greater coordination, collaboration and communication among development actors and government institutions implementing resilience projects at the federal and regional levels, beginning in three pilot woredas each in the Afar, Oromia, Somali, and Southern Ethiopia regions.
C4FS will provide ongoing technical and facilitation support to strengthen the capacity of MILLs to lead the Program and fulfil its mandate to coordinate activities that benefit pastoralists and semi-pastoralists both socially and economically.
In his keynote address, H.E. Dr. Endrias Geta, State Minister of MILLs, noted that Ethiopia is one of Africa’s most disaster-prone countries, with most climate-related hazards happening in the country's lowland and pastoral areas. Despite these risks, he believes the lowlands have enormous potential thanks to their livestock, minerals, and fertile soil.
Timothy Stein, USAID/Ethiopia Deputy Mission Director
“Despite these vulnerabilities, the Ethiopian lowlands have great potential, including the largest livestock population in Africa, fertile soil, minerals, and six major perennial rivers,” Dr. Endrias said. “However, the primary reason for not bringing sustainable development and long-lasting resilience to these areas is the lack of coordination among development partners, government institutions, and community institutions involved in resilience-building initiatives at the federal, regional, and woreda levels,” he added.
Timothy Stein, Deputy Mission Director of USAID/Ethiopia, echoed this sentiment and stressed the importance of coordination, a shared vision, and reflection. He noted, “It is not new resources or initiatives that are needed at this time to improve resilience in the lowlands or elsewhere. It’s about coordination.” He stated that a recent trip to the Somali region demonstrated to him that donors and implementing partners, including USAID, lacked a shared vision and cooperation in terms of fostering resilience.
During the event, C4FS shared the preliminary findings of its stakeholder consultation meetings on this new way of working in lowland and pastoral communities. The findings guided and framed a lively panel discussion in which panelists noted the importance of coordinating at all levels, avoiding duplicative efforts, and finding synergies with other ministries. They also discussed the uniqueness of the framework, including its focus on strengthening coordination rather than implementing programs.
Panelist Solomon Wakgari, a Senior Advisor at MILLs, said it was critical to dispel myths about pastoralists and lowland areas. "The Ministry wants to promote the potential of lowlands because these areas are endowed with fertile land and minerals, as well as agile and resilient communities," he explained.
Other topics of discussion included measuring the effectiveness of coordination, sharing positive stories, engaging the private sector in lowland development areas, and managing risks and crises.
In her closing remarks, Amber Lily Kenny, Director of the USAID Economic Growth and Resilience (EGR) Office, underscored USAID's commitment to working beyond resilience to ensure that communities and children have better access to all resources, including safety, security, food and education. "We want to make sure they (children) are able to be all they can be, and I know we will be able to achieve that here together through this program," said Amber Lily Kenny stressed.