In Ethiopia, the mission decided to focus the investment plan on halting deforestation and biodiversity degradation, developing integrated landscapes, restoring ecosystem services, and supporting resilient communities and livelihoods. Forestry Development Director General Kebede Yimam underscored that the country prioritizes addressing the impacts of climate change due to their effects on attaining national sustainable development goals. Minister of Agriculture Girma Amente recognized the urgency of developing the investment plan to complement the Government’s efforts, especially the Prime Minister-led Green Legacy Initiative, Ethiopia’s sustainable land management and climate-smart agriculture agenda. He stressed that sustainable land management and landscape approaches should be at the core of Ethiopia’s Nature, People and Climate investment program. AfDB’s Dr. Laouali Garba, Agricultural Production, Sustainability and Research Division Manager, served as mission team leader. He said: “We continue to support Ethiopia, especially in agriculture/agroforestry and natural resources management. This investment plan will comprehensively address climate change through Nature-based Solutions, promote sustainable and profitable value chains for income and food security, and build resilient systems at local, district and national levels.

To help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change through Nature-based Solutions, the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) launched the $370 million Nature, People and Climate (NPC) investment program and, earlier this year, selected seven countries and one region to participate, with a large contingent from Africa: Ethiopia, Egypt, Kenya, Rwanda, and Africa’s Zambezi River Basin Region (Malawi,?Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia). For these African programs, implementing partners include the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the International Financial Corporation (IFC), and the World Bank (WB).