Calling for Collaboration to Cope with Climate Change in Ethiopia: Focus on Forestry

Abstract

In Ethiopia, climate change and deforestation are major issues hindering sustainable development. Local Ethiopian communities commonly perceive an increase in temperature and a decrease in rainfall. Meteorological data shows that rainfall has declined in southern Ethiopia, and spring droughts have occurred more frequently during the last 10–15 years. The frequently occurring droughts have seriously affected the agriculture‐dominated Ethiopian economy. Forests can play an important role in coping with climate change. However, deforestation is alarmingly high in Ethiopia, and this is attributed mainly to agricultural expansion and fuel wood extraction. Deforestation has led to a decrease in various benefits from forest ecosystem services, and increased ecological and environmental problems including loss of biodiversity. To resolve the issues effectively, it is crucial to enhance climate change resilience through reforestation and various international collaborations are urgently needed. To continue collaboration activities for resolving these issues, it is first necessary to address fundamental questions on the nature of collaboration: does collaboration aim for a support−benefit or a mutual benefit situation; dividing the workload or sharing the workload; an advanced technology or an appropriate technology; and short‐term and intensive or long‐term and extensive?. Potential collaboration activities were identified by sectors: in the governmental sector, advancing governmental structure and policy, enhancing international collaborations and negotiations, and capacity building for forest restoration and management; in the research and education sector, identifying and filling gaps in forestry and climate change education, capacity building for reforestation and climate change resilience research, and developing bioenergy and feed stocks; and in the business and industry sector, supporting conservation based forestry businesses and industries, while promoting collaboration with the research and education sectors. It is envisaged that international collaboration for enhancing climate change resilience through reforestation will provide a strong platform for resolving climate change and deforestation issues, and achieving sustainable development in Ethiopia.