SEGORP II: Community Resilience On The Rise

On the path to enhancing resilience within communities

The communities of Debark, Janamora, and Beyeda in North Gondar, Amhara, face significant climate change vulnerabilities due to their diverse landscapes and dependence on rain-fed agriculture, leading to threats like droughts and diminished food security. This risks local ecosystems and livelihoods, particularly for farmers and pastoralists, potentially driving migration and conflict over resources. In response, they are adopting adaptation strategies such as crop diversification and better water management, supported by community and government initiatives. Strengthening local and national policies, along with fostering awareness and education on sustainable practices, is crucial for enhancing resilience in these regions.

Helvetas prioritizes initiatives that empower communities to build resilience against climate-related challenges. They implement early warning systems and enhance disaster preparedness while promoting sustainable management of natural resources. Additionally, the project fosters increased agricultural diversity and productivity by introducing climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive agricultural technologies and practices. Through these efforts, community organizations strengthen their capacities to adapt to and thrive amidst the impacts of climate change.

Resilience Building through Sustainable Resource Management: SEGORP's strategy emphasizes the significance of a supportive environment for community resilience, integrating sustainable natural resource management (NRM) as a core component. The project is actively engaging in NRM activities across targeted woredas—Debark, Janamora, and Beyeda—where it has identified and delineated 18 micro watersheds. Despite facing challenges due to security issues in the Amhara region, the initiative aims to strengthen local capacities for climate change adaptation.

Capacity Building and Training Initiatives: SEGORP II has organized extensive training sessions for stakeholders, including government experts and community members, to enhance understanding of climate resilience and participatory adaptation strategies. Notably, a Training of Trainers (TOT) was conducted, leading to the collection of field data from diverse focus groups. The training emphasized watershed management and soil and water conservation techniques, equipping local leaders with necessary skills to develop and implement management plans effectively.

Empowerment and Sustainable Agricultural Practices: The project promotes climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and nutrition-sensitive practices, addressing gender disparities in agricultural roles and improving food security. Training sessions on CSA techniques have been extended to various stakeholders, leading to the introduction of improved crop varieties. Additionally, efforts to empower women economically through Village Economic and Social Analysis (VESA) groups are underway, with significant female representation in leadership roles, enhancing community resilience and capacity for disaster risk management.