BIODEV2030 legacy workshop marks a milestone for biodiversity mainstreaming in Ethiopia

IUCN recently convened the BIODEV2030 Phase II Legacy Workshop, bringing together government institutions, development partners, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to reflect on five years of biodiversity mainstreaming work in Ethiopia. The workshop marked the culmination of a project funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and implemented by IUCN since 2020, with a focus on integrating biodiversity conservation into the agriculture, livestock, and forestry sectors.

Over the course of the project, BIODEV2030 in Ethiopia has delivered a range of concrete outputs, including biodiversity threat assessments, policy reviews, and the establishment of multi-stakeholder dialogue platforms. Sustainable landscape proposals were developed for the Bale and Kaffa landscapes, alongside action plans designed to promote biodiversity-friendly production systems. Participants at the workshop noted that the project generated valuable scientific evidence and practical policy recommendations, helping to align biodiversity conservation with Ethiopia's national development priorities.

Speaking at the workshop, Kumera Wakjira, Director General of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, commended BIODEV2030's inclusive approach, which engaged communities, government bodies, NGOs, and development partners in identifying practical conservation solutions. He called on all stakeholders to build on the project's tools and roadmaps, stating that "it is now time for us to act and intensify biodiversity mainstreaming in our development planning."

Dr. Samson Shimelse, representing the Director General of the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, underscored the urgency of the work, noting that biodiversity loss, climate change, and unsustainable land use remain pressing challenges both nationally and globally. He stressed the need to mainstream biodiversity across sectors including agriculture, forestry, energy, and infrastructure, and to deepen collaboration among all stakeholders.

Donor representatives used the occasion to reflect on the significance of the BIODEV2030 approach and to signal continued engagement. Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Country Representative Louis Antonin described the initiative's effort to reconcile natural resource conservation with economic development as a new model worth adopting broadly, and indicated that AFD would explore possible follow-up support for landscape-level proposals in consultation with other partners.

Representatives from the Embassy of the Netherlands and the Delegation of the European Union to Ethiopia expressed interest in adopting the multistakeholder engagement and policy reform processes promoted under BIODEV2030, and praised the initiative as a pioneer in mobilizing development partners, civil society, and communities around biodiversity mainstreaming. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) called for greater private sector involvement in future biodiversity initiatives and raised the possibility of collaboration with IUCN on post-conflict natural resource rehabilitation in key landscapes, including Awash National Park, Desa'a Forest, and Kafta Sheraro National Park.

The workshop concluded with renewed commitments from all participants to sustain and scale the work initiated under BIODEV2030. Prepared result documents were formally handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, and the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, ensuring that the knowledge and frameworks developed under the project remain embedded in national institutions.

IUCN remains committed to supporting Ethiopia's efforts to integrate biodiversity into its development planning, and to building the long-term partnerships needed to achieve the country's environmental and sustainable development objectives.

About BIODEV2030

BIODEV2030 is implemented by IUCN and WWF-France, coordinated by Expertise France and funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The BIODEV2030 project offers an innovative approach of biodiversity mainstreaming, based on science and multi-stakeholder dialogue. It specifically aims to steer a national vision for the sectoral integration of biodiversity, and to support changes in production practices.