Search Climate Insights Directory

The project aims to reduce urban climate vulnerabilities in Ethiopia through a combination of national policy frameworks, city-level Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and sustainable financing. In Addis Ababa, interventions focus on the Jemo-Harbu River corridor, including reforestation of Jemo Mountain, riverbank stabilization, and the creation of green canopies to mitigate heat and flood risks. In Jimma, the project targets the Awetu River catchment through reforestation, agroforestry, and wetland rehabilitation. Nationally, it establishes an Inter-Sectoral Coordination Committee and a knowledge portal to mainstream NbS into urban planning. The initiative is supported by a total of USD 47 million, with USD 25 million from the Green Climate Fund and USD 22 million from KOICA, targeting a total of 1,780,947 direct and indirect beneficiaries.

A three-year restoration project in North Mecha, Ethiopia, has successfully revived local water sources and improved food security through community-led land management. By implementing revegetation and soil conservation practices across 400 hectares, the project increased groundwater levels, extended stream flow into the dry season, and boosted crop production for 321 households.

The report evaluates the Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture Capacity and System Strengthening (NSA CASE) project (2019–2024) in Ethiopia's Oromia, Amhara, and Somali regions. Using the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology, the analysis finds that investing in nature-based infrastructure—such as drought-tolerant crops, perennial fruit trees, and moisture-harvesting technologies—can yield a return of up to USD 2.37 for every USD 1 invested over 26 years. This total benefit is estimated at USD 46 billion (ETB 5,161 billion), encompassing avoided costs from floods and droughts, increased agricultural productivity, carbon storage, and reduced malnutrition.

The report assesses gender-based disparities in Ethiopia, specifically focusing on how climate change disproportionately affects women and female-headed households in the Amhara and Oromia regions. It highlights systemic inequalities in land ownership, education, and decision-making, and recommends gender-responsive strategies for water and irrigation projects to ensure equitable access and empowerment.

The report analyzes the surge of violence in Ethiopia since 2018, attributing it to identity-related contentions, elite rivalry, institutional fragility, and international dynamics. While the 2022 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) ended the Tigray war, the author argues it is insufficient because it excluded key actors like the Amhara Fano and Eritrea. The document recommends utilizing national dialogue and transitional justice to address systemic grievances, provided these processes are inclusive and independent rather than tools for regime consolidation. It calls for deep political reform, including a negotiated vision within the ruling Prosperity Party and the creation of independent non-state oversight.

The report analyses the 'memory wars' in Ethiopia, where political elites use 'invented traditions' and memorialisation to advance competing ideological agendas. It identifies three primary approaches to collective memory: the rejectionist approach, which seeks to deconstruct the 'great tradition' of the Ethiopian state; the revivalist approach, which seeks to restore it; and the moderationist approach, which attempts a selective balance. These approaches operate across four layers of tradition: the pre-1991 great tradition, the post-1991 federal vernacular tradition, regional traditions, and local-level traditions. The author argues that the contradictions between these approaches and the lack of a negotiated, shared collective memory have reinforced political instability and armed conflict.

The document analyzes Ethiopia's struggle with democratization, tracing a cycle of autocratic rule from the imperial era to the present. It argues that the state's historical hegemony, combined with the organizational weakness of social forces, creates a resilient autocracy. While peaceful protests can trigger short-lived liberalizations, they often fail to consolidate democracy because the state can swiftly recuperate power. Conversely, armed insurgency further deepens authoritarianism by destroying material foundations for democracy and creating militaristic rebel groups that transplant autocratic traditions into the state upon victory. The author recommends using a national dialogue to create incentive structures for elites to commit to democratic reforms.

The paper analyzes the root causes of political violence in Ethiopia, attributing it to an institutional crisis within the EPRDF and a historical 'cult of violence'. It proposes a transition from a 'politics of victimhood' to a 'survivors' political project' inspired by Mahmood Mamdani's theories and the hagiography of Saint Krəstos Śämra. The author suggests that peace-building requires a multi-track political dialogue, a sovereign apology from the state for historical violence, and the transformation of enemies into political adversaries to build a multicultural state.

The report argues that Ethiopia's political transition since 2018 has been undermined by escalating inter-ethnic and communal violence. This instability is driven by a combination of militant ethno-nationalism, deep ideological divides between pan-Ethiopianism and ethnonationalism, and rivalries among political elites who mobilise the masses. The document highlights the role of state fragility, where institutional indifference, incompetence, and the complicity of some officials have allowed conflicts to proliferate. Specific regional tensions are detailed, including disputes over autonomy in the SNNP region and racial and economic grievances in Benishangul Gumuz. The report concludes that stability requires a comprehensive political settlement, an inclusive national dialogue, and the professionalisation of security forces to dismantle illicit arms networks.

The research paper assesses the political landscape of Ethiopia, characterized by a divide between 'Ethiopianist' and 'ethnonationalist' perspectives. It analyzes theoretical models of constitutional design—specifically consociationalism, centripetalism, and integrationism—and proposes several hybrid models to reconcile these opposing views. The author argues that no single design can satisfy all parties and suggests that a combination of power-sharing, vote-pooling, and national identity-building is the most viable path toward stability.

The report outlines the safeguards framework for the Resilient Landscapes and Livelihoods Project in Ethiopia, categorising it as Category B. It details the disclosure of the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), Resettlement Policy Framework, and Social Assessment, and specifies the project's implementation across 210 Woredas in six Ethiopian regions.

The report analyzes the drivers of ethnic conflict in contemporary Ethiopia, focusing on the cyclical relationship between political institutions and nationalist mobilizations. It argues that the 'centralised ethno federation' established by the EPRDF created fault lines that, when combined with recent political liberalization and institutional fragility, led to widespread violence. The author examines specific conflicts in the north, west, and south, applying the concepts of the 'security dilemma' and 'invidious comparison' to explain micro-level violence. The document concludes that sustainable stability requires transforming the ruling party, conducting inclusive national dialogue, and reclaiming state autonomy from mob influence.

The report attributes the rise in Ethiopia's ethnic violence, particularly since 2018, to a self-reinforcing cycle of contending ethno-nationalisms and institutional fragility. It argues that the centralized ethno-federal system created paradoxes of empowerment and disempowerment, while the ruling party (EPRDF) became fractured along ethnic lines. The author identifies 'security dilemmas'—where groups arm themselves for protection, thereby increasing the insecurity of others—as a micro-level driver of conflict. The report recommends internal party negotiations, a broad national dialogue to reconstitute the state, professionalization of security forces, and urgent job creation for youth to address economic grievances.

The document analyzes Ethiopia's rapid economic growth and human development progress since 1991, while highlighting persistent gaps in basic service access and agricultural productivity. Using the International Futures (IFs) forecasting system, it compares a 'Current Path' forecast against various intervention scenarios, concluding that an integrated approach across agriculture, education, health, and governance is necessary to reach lower-middle-income status by 2025.

The report examines Ethiopia's high vulnerability to climate change, particularly for pastoralists and smallholder farmers. It analyzes national strategies like the Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) and the Programme of Adaptation on Climate Change (EPACC), noting that while political will is strong, adaptation efforts are heavily skewed toward agriculture and disaster risk management, leaving gaps in health, energy, and transportation. It also details the role of international funding and the lack of robust national knowledge-sharing networks.

The document argues that ethanol has high potential as a cooking fuel in Ethiopia, particularly in urban areas, but requires regulatory reform and stronger government commitment to attract private sector investment and overcome barriers like kerosene subsidies.

The document reports that mean annual temperatures in Ethiopia have risen by 0.5 to 1.3°C since the 1960s, with a significant decrease in the frequency of cold nights. While national data is limited, trends from 1981-2000 indicate a decline in short rains (February to April) and slight increases in long rains (June to August) and late-year precipitation (October and November), posing risks to rain-fed agriculture and food security. Additionally, flood events are becoming more frequent, with major disruptions noted in 1997 and 2006.

The report examines the intersection of climate variability and development in Ethiopia, specifically focusing on how farmers and pastoralists are affected by drought and floods. It draws on research conducted by Haramaya University and government officials in the Oromiya, Afar, and Amhara Regional States to argue that climate adaptation efforts must be aligned with broader development plans to be effective.

The document argues that climate change planning in Ethiopia is under-invested and requires an approach that manages prediction uncertainty by fostering adaptive capacity. It draws on 2010-11 research conducted by Haramaya University and government officials across three Ethiopian sites to evaluate how existing interventions in social protection, sustainable livelihoods, and disaster risk management can be improved to better support vulnerable rural communities.

The document outlines a collaborative project using the SEI nexus toolkit—integrating the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) and Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) systems—to analyze trade-offs and synergies in Ethiopia's upper Blue Nile region. Initial findings indicate that while increased irrigation can reduce water for hydropower and the environment, optimized dam operations can meet both energy and environmental goals. Additionally, the study highlights a link between energy transitions and agriculture, noting that shifting away from traditional biomass could improve soil productivity.