Empowering Communities

Project setting

The Yayu Biosphere Reserve is one of the few remaining areas of intact Afromontane forests in Ethiopia. The area has been declared UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2010 but management structures are yet to be established. The local population’s income is low and unemployment rates, especially among youths, is high.

The Yayu ecoregion, located more than 650 km from the capital Addis Ababa, comprises highlands characterised by dense forests with up to 40 percent forest cover. The project works in the Woredas (districts) Hurumu, Alge-Sachi, Yayo and Bilo Nopha.

Approach

The project is made up of four different components. Capacity development for coffee farmers, forest preservation and income generating activities, setting-up of local structures for the biosphere reserve and multiplication and learning activities.

The project aims to strengthen local communities by using the Participatory Forest Management (PFM) approach to hand responsibility and ownership of forest resources to the local population while supporting them in creating better or additional income through higher-revenue coffee collection in the forest areas, planting of cash crops (banana, avocado, herbs), as well as setting up self-sustained plant nurseries.

Planned achievements

• Coffee farmers are experiencing a significant and sustainable increase in quality and quantity of yields.
• Youths in the area are founding new start-ups to have sustainable income.
• Women are able to increase their household income through ecological and sustainable farming of cash-crops.
• Sustainable Participatory Forest Management is established.
• Communal agroforestry action plans are developed and running.
• Members of the communities are actively engaging in reforestation and rehabilitation of their local forest systems.
• The biosphere reserve management is set-up and working.
• Forest user and women producer groups are linked to neighbouring regions groups at Kafa Biosphere Reserve.