Best Practices of the Coping with Drought and
Climate Change Project
Kalu Woreda of South Wollo Zone, Ethiopia
Gebru Jember,
Climate Change Forum-Ethiopia
Background
•The UNDP/GEF initiated, Coping with Drought and Climate Change, is a model project under
implementation in four African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
•The main objective of the project is to pilot drought and climate change activities in the four
drought affected countries, where the impacts of drought have been found disastrous.
•The project in Kalu woreda of south wollo zone, Ethiopia, as one of the pilot projects was
initiated to underline experience sharing across the project countries in the efforts to cope
with drought and climate change.
•There was strong coordination since the inception, planning and implementation at both
national and local level
Initial Challenges:
 During design
 Coordinating all stakeholders
 Implementation of some activities took longer due to additional training required
Components
1. Outcome 1: - Livelihood strategies that enhance the resilience of vulnerable farmers to
cope with drought and climate change adopted and sustained.
I. Output 1.1: Market oriented alternative livelihood strategies that enhance resilience and
income introduced and promoted
II. Output 1.2: Production oriented sustainable land management practices introduced and
promoted
2. Outcome 2:- Enhanced use of early warning information in Agricultural systems at the
selected pilot site;
I. Output 2.1: Integrated drought information communication system established;
II. Output 2.2: Capacity of community level institutions for climate information and risk
management enhanced
III. Output 2.3: Capacity of local Meteorological Institutions Developed
3. Outcome 3: - Farmers/Pastoralists outside the Pilot sites Replicated Successful Approaches
to Cope with Drought & climate change
I. Output 3.1: Farmers/Agro pastoralist outside the pilot kebeles are exposed to successful
approaches and practices of the pilot kebeles
II. Output 3.2: Acquired knowledge and lesson learnt shared with development actors and
communities outside the pilot kebeles
Livestock production
- Shoats promotion
- Forage development
- Bee hives production
Rice promotion
Crop production
Promotion of fruits and
• Improved seeds provision
– provision of drought resistant,
high yielding and early maturing
varieties of cereals and pulses
seeds
– Rice promotion, Horticulture
– Management of agronomic
measures
– Transfer systems
• Integrated pest
management
vegetables
EW information communication
– Data Base
• At WOoA, Meteo offices
– Softwares,
– trainings,
– Computers
• At kebele
– Ordinary and plastic rain gauges
– training
Community Based NRM
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CB NRM
Intent
Modality
Watersheds
Biophysical
Integrated
Impacts
Irrigation development
• Irrigation Dev’t
– The need
– Flumes
– Water harvesting
– Pumps and hoses
• Spring development for water supply
• Flood protection
 Felana river trained
 Two KAs
Marketing and value chain
Environmental Management
Environmental protection committees
Solid waste management
Environmental education
Alternative energy sources for environmental protection
Achievements and Lessons Learned
a. The project were able to bring together line departments at district level under one
steering committee and there by integrate the activities of the project into the departments
plan and operations – created effective local project management structure
b. Local level climate and meteorological information system including meteorological
observation at farmyard that improved farmers decision for agricultural operations
c. An integrated natural resource management including water harvesting, reforestation and
natural biomass regeneration, irrigation which improved food and fed production
d. Non-cash revolving fund that improved household income on one side and enhanced
community cohesion for self-help actions;
e. Introduction of agronomic techniques including for horticulture and crop production through
training and demonstration
f. Old wisdom solution for new challenge (Integrated past management);
g. Farmers/Pastoralists outside the Pilot sites replicate successful approaches to cope with
drought & climate change
THANK YOU