SLU is assisting Ethiopia in developing its forest sector by working with the Swedish Forest Agency and Eco Innovation Foundation. Researchers from SLU are in charge of the Swedish team.
A National Forest Sector Development Plan was recently approved by the Ethiopian government. The Center for International Forestry Research, Swedish and Ethiopian partners, and the Ethiopian Forest and Climate Change Commission are working on a variety of projects under the direction of the Ethiopian Forest and Climate Change Commission, which is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
According to Erik Karltun, a researcher at SLU, the goal is to increase the contribution of Ethiopia’s forest sector to economic growth, the reduction of poverty, and the provision of crucial eco-system services.
The Swedish team, led by SLU, is working on policy and institutional development, the growth of the small-scale forest industry, the development of forest extension staff’s skills, the mainstreaming of gender issues, biodiversity monitoring in managed forests, and urban greening.
