Building Resilience to Climate Change

Original Story Published by: Staff Writer for Farm Africa
Photo Source: ©Farm Africa

Climate change is damaging the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in eastern Africa. And if the current consumption of fossil fuels continues, global temperatures could rise by as much as 4⁰ by 2090, causing drought, aridity and diminishing crop yields.

Building resilience to climate change is a key part of Farm Africa’s work. We’re running four major projects to help farmers mitigate the effects of climate shocks.

Participatory forest management

In Ethiopia, we’ve been refining our forest management system for 20 years, helping communities to work in partnership with the governments that legally own the forests, so that they have an incentive to farm sustainably. By promoting forest-friendly farming, we help to unlock the economic potential of the forest while also reducing deforestation – in the Chilimo region of Ethiopia we’ve cut annual deforestation by over 50%.

Resilience in the Horn of Africa

Population growth in the Horn of Africa is leading to deforestation and degradation of land as communities farm more intensively. With support from the European Union, we’re working to improve and sustain the livelihoods of vulnerable populations in southern and eastern Ethiopia by reducing deforestation and improving the management of biodiversity hotspots.

Climate-smart agriculture

Farm Africa also works to promote climate-smart farming near Lake Hawassa in Ethiopia, encouraging farming methods that don't contribute to climate change. By tackling rangeland degradation, promoting diversification and training farmers in sustainable practices, we aim to promote more intensive farming that will increase yields and incomes without damaging local ecosystems.