Action Plan for the National Policy on Natural Resources and the Environment of 1994 (Volume IV).

This Action Plan for the Ethiopian National Policy on Natural Resources and the Environment is a nationwide document that presents a plan of prioritized actions within the framework of 11 cross-sectoral and 11 sectoral programs, which translate the broad strategies outlined in Volume II into specific activities. The prioritization distinguishes three periods of time within which the implementation of the activities is expected: (i) immediate priorities, include the activities to be accomplished within a period of two years; (ii) medium term priorities, include those actions which can be completed within a period of five years; and (iii) long term priorities, include actions which require the completion of immediate and/or medium term actions and which will take a period of much more than five years to complete. The cross-sectoral programs link the interventions directed to the management of natural resources and the environment to a series of other themes, such as (i) population strategies, (ii) community involvement and benefit, (iii) rural land tenure and access rights, (iv) land use planning, (v) integration of social, cultural and gender factors in resource use and management, (vi) economic planning, (vii) environmental information systems; (viii) environmental research, (ix) environmental impact assessment process, and (x) environmental education and awareness.
To make agriculture and forestry more productive and sustainable, the actions will aim to the development of (i) an integrated land use and soil management both in agriculture and in forestry; (ii) appropriate methods of rainwater harvesting and improved soil moisture conservation for crop and other biomass production incorporating indigenous technique; (iii) integrated crop and livestock production to meet the increasing shortages of animal feed and minimize open grazing on hillside; (iv) range-land management focusing on water supply in the arid and semi arid areas and construction of rural roads; (v) forest resource and ecosystem conservation and management; (vi) medium and large scale irrigation systems; and (vii) energy resources to protect forest, woodland and trees resources.
Rural poverty will be tackled through (i) a feasibility study and a pilot project of a land management Fund to provide incentives for resource-poor farmers to undertake soil conservation measures; and (ii) the development of regional action plans for off farm income generation for the poor and the landless, especially women.
In order to enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems, the document proposes to (i) establish the basic market infrastructure linked to rural access roads together with domestic and foreign livestock market price information; (ii) assist local pastoral groups establish the necessary infrastructure and systems for effecting distress sales of livestock in times of drought, credit facilities for post drought herd reconstruction; (iii) initiate integrated participatory range-land and pastoral development programs in pastoral, agro-pastoral and farming communities; (iv) promote farmer/community production of seedlings, and, in the medium term, to transfer state nurseries to community or individual farmer operation; (v) ensure that rural and small scale urban water supply systems are controlled and managed by local communities; (vi) evaluate the possibility of undertaking development programs that involve and benefit all people, particularly the most disadvantaged groups like widows, children, the disabled and the landless; and (vii) develop participatory community organizations of women, disadvantaged social groups, and disabled persons able to undertake the planning and management of projects regarding natural resources and the environment.
The resilience of livelihoods to disasters will be increased through (i) a national survey to determine the estimated annual emissions of greenhouse and other damaging gases into the atmosphere and the rates of carbon sequestration; (ii) developing hydro and geothermal energy generation; (iii) establishing monitoring system, through periodic national surveys on emissions of damaging gases and providing technical assistance to enable the Ethiopian Meteorological Service; and (iv) establishing local emergency feed and grain reserves for times of drought.