By: Goshu Melisew
Minister of Planning and Development, Fitsum Assefa (PhD), has underscored the crucial role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in mobilizing climate finance and strengthening the country’s climate resilience.
Speaking at a workshop “Ethiopian CSOs need to mobilize climate finance for enhanced climate action”, she highlighted the urgency of addressing climate change, which poses serious economic and social challenges.
Ethiopia has taken significant steps to combat climate change, including its Green Legacy Initiative, which has planted over 40 billion seedlings, increasing forest coverage from 17.2% in 2017 to 23.6% in 2023. Additionally, investments in drought-resistant crops and summer wheat production have helped mitigate food insecurity.
However, securing climate finance remains a critical challenge. Fitsum called on CSOs to play a greater role in mobilizing funds and aligning their efforts with national climate strategies, such as the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS).
She emphasized the need to enhance capacity in project proposal development and fund management to maximize financial opportunities.
The government is committed to strengthening collaboration with CSOs and development partners to ensure effective implementation of climate strategies, Fitsum underscored.
For his part, Nigusu Legesse (PhD), Executive Director of the Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Associations (CCRDA), emphasized Civil society organizations (CSOs) in Ethiopia can play a greater role in mobilizing climate finance to strengthen national climate action,
He highlighted the urgency of the climate crisis, calling for coordinated efforts to address its growing challenges. He noted that while Ethiopia has been active in global climate discussions, more can be done to scale up engagement, particularly in platforms such as the COP summits.
Nigusu underscored the organization’s dedication to ensuring climate action aligns with poverty alleviation efforts.
The workshop underscored the critical role of Ethiopian CSOs in securing climate finance and enhancing the country’s resilience to climate change.