The Economic Commission for Africa and the Government of Ethiopia signed an MoU, Thursday, to kick off a four-year USD 3.6 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.
Speaking at the kick-off event in Addis Ababa, Economic Commission for Africa’s Executive Secretary, Vera Songwe said, “Nature-based solutions for climate action create jobs and contribute to the achievement of the Decade of Action. Today, we begin a journey of hope, of economic development and of better health for women in Ethiopia.”
