Ethiopia
Nature conservation and sustainable regional development in the Horn of Africa
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![Ethiopia: The wild coffee forests of Kafa have been recognized as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2010. The predominantly highland region is covered with evergreen montane cloud forest - photo: Mathias Putze Ethiopia: The wild coffee forests of Kafa have been recognized as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2010. The predominantly highland region is covered with evergreen montane cloud forest - photo: Mathias Putze](/imperia/md/nabu/images/international/afrika/aethiopien/kafa/landschaft/2021-08-10-nabu-kafa-ethiopia-cloud_forest-_c_mathias_putze_680x453px.jpeg)
Ethiopia: The wild coffee forests of Kafa have been recognized as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2010. The predominantly highland region is covered with evergreen montane cloud forest - photo: Mathias Putze
NABU is engaged in Ethiopia since 2006 and officially registered in 2009 as an international aid agency through a regional office in Addis Ababa, the country's capital, and local offices in the project regions. Since then, NABU has been implementing large projects promoting nature conservation and sustainable regional development in close cooperation with local communities, international partners and the Ethiopian government.
Since 2023, NABU Ethiopia is operating as an independent CSO. It is working closely with the NABU headquarters in Germany.
Our engagement in Ethiopia focuses on:
- Ecosystem restoration, habitat protection and biodiversity monitoring
- Sustainable regional development and capacity building
- Participatory landscape planning
- Adaptation to climate change
- Establishment of the two UNESCO biosphere reserves Kafa Biosphere Reserve (761,144 ha) and Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve (695,885ha)
- Reforestation and enrichment of at least 1,300 ha Afromontane cloud forest
- Establishment of community management for 15,000 ha of forests and eight wetlands
- Establishment of the Southwest Forest Alliance Platform (find out more here)
- Restoration of nine church forests
- Conduction of two biodiversity assessments for the Kafa Biosphere Reserve with discovery of at least 80 new species (find out more here)
- Greening of 114,000 home gardens for erosion reduction and closing of 100 erosion gullies
- Establishment of nine organic coffee cooperations and organic certification of garden coffee from Kafa (find out more here)
- Raising awareness of more than 250,000 people on importance, purpose, opportunities and links of conservation and climate change
Achievements
Our projects in Ethiopia
Fragmentation and degradation are threatening Ethiopia's diverse forest landscapes and thus the country's biodiversity and food security. In Southwest Ethiopia, NABU and its partners are therefore implementing action plans to restore the precious forests. more →
By capacitating coffee farmers for better yields and climate resilience, supporting local communities with forest-oriented income and sustaining the biosphere reserve and its ecosystems, we aim to maintain the unique forests of Yayu Biosphe Reserve. more →
Kafa Biosphere Reserve is challenged by the lack of sustainable employment and innovation for green development and adaptation to the impacts of climate change. The project aims at structuring the up to now non-commercialised garden coffee value chain. more →
The largest lake in Ethiopia, Lake Tana, is a source of life for 4 million people in the region. Over the course of the last decade, however, the consequences of increased industrialization and development have been posing a threat to this vital water supply. more →
Degradation of highland forest landscapes of South Ethiopia is a serious threat to livelihoods and biodiversity. NABU is engaged with the goal of preserving the forests of Bench-Sheko, Kafa & Sheka as carbon sinks and long-term ecosystem service suppliers. more →
Using charcoal releases carbon that damages the climate and threatens natural forests. NABU is working with environmentally aware women to promote the use of sustainable briquettes made from coffee husks. more →