GGGI:2022-2025:Biodiversity conservation for ecosystem and community resilience

In the first year of implementation, the program reported output-level progress for 13 of the total 16 outputs of the program. As also acknowledged by the annual report 2023, "these results are viewed as short term outcomes for the fact that they focused on the initial evidence gathered from changes in awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, opinions, aspirations, and motivations of the different group of beneficiaries". With the above in view, the following output-level were registered in the period December 2022 -November 2023: 1. Improved conservation of biodiversity in forested landscapes - Ten pilot sites in four woredas (i.e., Setema, Bedelle, Metu and Disa) prioritized to prepare local land use plans through participatory stakeholder consultation. Six GIS-based maps for ten forest sites were also prepared - Awareness creation and familiarization workshop convened in 12 Woredas and 22 kebeles to to develop technical capacity in Participatory Forest Management. 5406 (991 are female) community members and government representatives participated. - Training of Trainers (ToT) focusing on participatory forest demarcation, participatory Forest Resource Assessment, and management planning and Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) were carried out (23 trainees of which 2 are women). The trained persons cascaded the lessons to the woreda level reaching out to 119 people (17 women). - A PFM core planning team was established in 16 new kebeles to help facilitate the PFM planning process. These planning teams consist of 136 members (20 female). - As part of the PFM process, forest site identification, participatory resource mapping, and boundary negotiation were carried out, prioritizing about 5,856 hectares in 16 woredas (new PFM sites). Out of that prioritized area, about 2,067 hectares were demarcated. 2. Improved management of forest resources for multiple functions - The existing improved beekeeping practice were assessed before introduction of new practices. Based on that assessment, 130 improved bee hives were procured and distributed to the prioritized beneficiaries. In addition, six sets of apiculture development accessories for beekeeping practitioners were procured and distributed to project woredas and office of agriculture. - The potential of bamboo (both highland & lowland variants) was assessed in all woredas (in 12 kebeles), and kebeles with high potential and prior experience identified. - Nursery management groups were established in 12 kebeles (6 kebele per region) with a total of 114 members (17 women). - Forest restoration activity: about 414 hectares of degraded forest landscape identified and delineated in eight project kebeles as part of community-based restoration activities. - Forest coffee management activities: About 994 hectares identified and prioritized for restoration of coffee agroforestry with multi-purpose trees. 3. Improved Gender equality and livelihoods of the communities in and around the forested landscapes - Training was provided to enhance gender equality in leadership positions or roles in government and decisions making process. This included using gender experts to teach participants on how to raise awareness on the importance of increased role of women in leadership. - Gender related capacity building included training 70 representatives from community-based organizations on gender equality in decision making (70 participants of which 30 were women). - Women and youth-based vegetables production in home-gardens were promoted through providing training to 569 farmers (279 women; 43 ha covered so far. - Soil fertility enhancement technologies adopting vermi-composting were promoted by training 96 model farmers (24 women). - Training organized on sustainable wetlands management (adaptive livelihood for communities): 154 participants attended (54 women). 26 ha of wetland demarcated with community members in Jimma and sustainable wetland management activity is underway. - Diversification of livelihood options for women and youths through home-garden, agroforestry with high value fruits, vegetables, tree nurseries and spices by providing training for 294 participants (56 women). - An alternative source of energy assessment was carried out for 820 households to improve access of the rural community to solar energy for productive use; Based on the demand analysis, procurement of 300 solar home systems for 300 vulnerable youth and women households underway. 4. Strengthened institutional, human and system capacity and multi-stakeholder coordination - A woreda-level steering committee to oversee and guide project implementation (of the program) at the woreda level is established. - Training was organized for 74 higher officials from the Southwestern Ethiopian Regional State and Oromia Region on biodiversity conservation, natural resource governance and management of forest resources. - Study conducted to determine capacity gap of primary cooperatives and unions; this will inform follow-up capacity development interventions.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the sustainable management of biodiversity rich natural forests of the Southwest Ethiopia for enhancing ecosystem services and livelihoods improvement of communities living in and around the forest landscapes in Southwest Ethiopia. Furthermore, the project will contribute towards several commitments of Ethiopia for global partnerships such as the Paris Agreement of the UNFCCC, land degradation neutrality of the UNCCD, conservation targets and ambitions of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), AF100, AUs Agenda 2063 and the SDG. The specific objectives of the project are: 1To strengthen mainstreaming and integration of biodiversity conservation interventions into local development programs; 2To enhance the sustainable forest management in selected woredas and zones in Oromia and SWEP Regional States; 3To improve gender equality and livelihoods of forest dependent communities, including women and youth; and 4To build the capacity of Government stakeholders and local community groups at various levels.