LEX-FAOC149712

This Climate Resilience Strategy (CR) has three objectives: To identify the impact of current weather variability and projected future climate change on Ethiopia. To identify ways to build climate resilience and reduce the impact of current weather variability and future climate change, and estimate their cost. To map the steps necessary to finance and implement efforts to build climate resilience. The CR Strategy supplements the Green Economy Strategy (GE) by enhancing its key recommendations in terms of climate resilience. As such, both the CR and GE Strategies together form a single overarching strategy. This strategy is also supported by a number of technical reports related to the analytical work produced. Focus on agriculture Developing climate resilience is particularly crucial in agriculture, as it is a sector that is climate dependent, and therefore vulnerable to the future impacts of climate change. This Climate Resilience Strategy focuses on the agriculture and forestry sectors due to their importance to national income and livelihoods. The sectors make up 43% of our GDP, produces nine of the ten largest export commodities, and employs around 80% of the Ethiopian people. Other sectors will also face climate change challenges, as such, this strategy will act as a starting point for subsequent climate resilience analysis across the remaining sectors of the economy. Agricultural development will continue to be the basis for economic growth with a targeted growth rate in the sector of around 10%. This will see increases in the production of major crops, with substantial increases in coffee production and livestock over coming years. Phase 1 of the CR Strategy therefore focuses on the agriculture sector (which includes agricultural crops, livestock, forestry, food security and disaster prevention). Other sectors will also face climate change challenges, and the Phase 1 strategy will act as a starting point for subsequent climate resilience analysis across the remaining sectors of the economy. The CR Strategy is aligned with the sectoral activities covered by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). Grounding the work and recommendations into existing governance structures and responsibilities helps to ensure the relevance for policymakers. The MoA is split into these sectors: Disaster Risk Management and Food Security, Agricultural Development, Livestock, Natural Resources Management and Extension. The agriculture sector is made up of three sub-sectors, agricultural crops, livestock and forestry. The Vision for Ethiopia is to become a middle-income country by 2025, and to achieve this through economic growth that is resilient to climate change and as a results in no net greenhouse gas emissions. The GE identified options for low-carbon growth in agricultural crop, livestock and forestry sectors. Of the four main pillars of the strategy, three are related to the sectors in the CR Strategy; (1) improving crop and livestock production practices for higher food security and farmer income while reducing emissions (agricultural and land use efficiency measures), (2) protecting and re-establishing forests for their economic and ecosystem services, including as carbon stocks (increased GHG sequestration in forestry) and (3) improving livestock management and productivity.