The Climate Investment Funds (CIF) has approved a $500 million plan to combat land degradation and improve food security in Ethiopia. This initiative includes $37 million from CIF’s Nature, People, and Climate program, with co-financing from partners like the World Bank and African Development Bank. Ethiopia, where over half the country faces degradation and 11 million hectares risk desertification, aims to restore 320,000 hectares of forests, farmlands, and rangelands across several regions, including Amhara, South Ethiopia, and Oromia. The project also includes creating an online forest registry. CIF lead Paul Hartman highlighted the program’s focus on mitigating the effects of climate change on smallholder farmers and pastoralists, bolstering livelihoods, and enhancing agricultural productivity. He revealed that about half of the money has been allocated by the co-investors, with the rest likely to come from private and philanthropic sources. The plan will fund sustainable solutions like afforestation, soil regeneration, and water conservation.
SOURCE: REUTERS
