Climate Change and Natural Resource Management
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USAID considers climate change a key factor in the implementation of the Feed the Future goal to reduce poverty and improve nutrition through inclusive agricultural growth. Historically, Ethiopia has been prone to extreme weather variability, from erratic rainfall and droughts to major flooding. The potential effects of climate change on an already fragile environmental mandates investments in climate change adaptation and natural resource management to stave off the increased vulnerability of people, places and communities. USAID supports the Government of Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Green Economy strategy by improving analytics, information-sharing and government and community climate change adaptation efforts. Additionally, USAID builds on already existing natural resource management and conservation agriculture approaches, as well as supporting innovative climate change adaptation activities.
Projects include: 
- Partnership for Capacity Building in Disaster Management: Collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service to empower local authorities to better anticipate and respond to disasters. Incorporates relevant elements of the U.S. National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) that have been contextualized to the Ethiopian government and cultural setting. See also: Education
- Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP)
- Pastoral Livelihoods Initiative – Phase II
- Pastoralist Areas Resilience Improvement and Market Expansion (PRIME)
- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Transformations for Enhanced Resilience (WATER)
Biodiversity
Through USAID Ethiopia’s Ecotourism program, 20,000 hectares have been officially demarcated as biodiversity conservation land. In conjunction with deforestation, poor management of land and water, and depletion of key ecosystems, loss of biodiversity has contributed to Ethiopia’s change in climate, food insecurity, and conflicts. USAID works with community members and target beneficiaries to familiarize them with their roles and responsibilities in biodiversity conservation. In doing so, USAID demonstrates to beneficiaries that protecting areas of biological significance has long-term benefits for the economy and natural resources.
Projects include:
- Ethiopian Sustainable Tourism Alliance: Enhance biodiversity conservation and economic development through sustainable tourism products, services and other opportunities while mainstreaming HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness.
See also: PEPFAR
