US Forest Service Technical Assistance Trip to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia In Support to USAID-Ethiopia for Assistance in Rangeland Management Support to the Pastoralist Livelihoods Initiative for USAID-Ethiopia Office of Business Environment Agriculture & Trade Training in Rangeland Ecology and Management for Improved Rangeland Health and Forage Productivity Final Report – December 1, 2006 Mission Dates: October 20-November 5, 2006 Cattle and pastoralist near Negele, Oromia Region 10/29/06 Report Submitted by: Nancy Prall David Bradford Range Management Specialist Range Management Specialist USDA Forest Service USDA Forest Service Humboldt-Toiyabe N.F. Grand Mesa, Uncompaghre, Gunnison N.F. Elko, Nevada 89801 Paonia, CO 81428 (775) 778-6113 (970)-527-4131 [email protected] [email protected] 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 SCOPE OF THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 4 BACKGROUND 5 USAID Request and Objectives of the Technical Assistance 5 Mission Activities 6 ISSUES, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 7 Underlying Issues 7 Issue 1 Rangeland training curriculum development 8 FINDING Students need to develop more specialized skills in Rangeland Ecology and Management 8 Recommendations 9 Issue 2 Integration of pastoralist knowledge and collaboration between entities 11 FINDINGS People are trained in technical skills, but not in pastoralist knowledge and tradition 11 Lack of collaboration, cooperation, and integration between organizations to develop consistent training programs 12 Need to integrate training development with other research and development actions in Ethiopia 13 RECOMMENDATIONS 15 2 CONCLUSIONS 16 The need for future training missions 16 Appendix 1. References 18 Appendix 2. Actual Mission Itinerary for USFS Team Oct. 20 –Nov. 5, 2006 19 Appendix 3. Scope of Work 22 Appendix 4. Draft Trip Schedule as of October 20, 2006 26 Appendix 5. List of organizations and individuals involved in the mission 28 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This mission was conducted by two USFS range management specialists, Dave Bradford & Nancy Prall, from October 20 to November 5, 2006 to determine what is needed to develop rangeland ecology and management education in Ethiopia. After a series of discussions with NGO personnel, federal and regional government officials, observations of lowland pastoralist areas in Ethiopia, and a presentation of current range principles and teaching methods used in the western US, the USFS team concluded that Ethiopian students need to develop more specialized skills in Rangeland Ecology and Management. While Ethiopians have access to education in animal health and general natural resource disciplines, most instruction focuses only on highland forest ecosystems and agricultural development. In addition, there should be better integration of pastoralist knowledge into new range training programs, and improved collaboration between entities. Students are trained in technical skills related to animal health and natural resources, but not in pastoralist knowledge and tradition specific to lowland ecosystems. There is also a lack of collaboration and cooperation between organizations such as NGOs and federal and regional levels of government in the planning and development of training programs. To help accomplish this, Ethiopians need to integrate new training with other research and development actions in Ethiopia to make new education curricula relevant to current science and policy actions. Training programs should be developed to teach university, technical college, and pastoralist students the concepts and techniques specific to each pastoralist area while integrating information about local ecosystems, management challenges, pastoralist knowledge and tradition. Finally, there is a need for future missions during which USFS personnel can conduct a series of interactive workshops involving Ethiopians in the development of rangeland ecology and management training programs that are relevant to pastoralist traditions, knowledge and culture. SCOPE OF THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE The specific objective for the Training in Rangeland Ecology and Management for Improved Rangeland Health and Forage Productivity mission was to “initiate a series of training activities on this subject and to gain the understanding and support of high level officials in the Ethiopian national and regional governments for rangeland management principles.” USAID requested specifically that the USFS team provide technical assistance and expertise in the areas of rangeland and livestock management with the goal of providing a training program and curriculum to improve rangeland management capacity among practitioners, educators, and decision-makers. “Pastoralism can be defined as a land use system, an economic mode of production and way of life for many people who derive most of their income or sustenance from keeping domestic livestock reared in conditions where most of the feed is natural rather than cultivated.” Gebru, G, Desta, S., and D.L. Coppock (eds) 2004. Many people have recognized that there are problems in the pastoral lands of Ethiopia, as well as in much of East Africa. These problems are complex. They include “ (1) Improvement of infrastructure (such as the Moyale to Isiolo Road in Kenya); (2) reduction of trade barriers between Kenya and Ethiopia; (3) improved livestock marketing; (4) eliminate further losses of pastoral lands 4 to outside interests; (5) enhance empowerment of local people; (6) improve security; and (7) enhance the local networking among Ethiopian researchers and policy makers.” Gebru, G, Desta, S., and D.L. Coppock (eds) 2004. In addition, there is a need to promote a better understanding of rangeland ecology by assisting in the development of a rangeland management training curriculum that is tailored to the local customs and issues facing lowland pastoralists in Ethiopia. These curricula should be developed in a clear, collaborative process by Ethiopian federal and regional government personnel, universities that have or can develop range management training, NGO’s, and pastoralist leaders who all understand the complexities of Ethiopian lowland range ecosystems as well as the traditions and culture of pastoralists. First steps in the development of curricula for university students, technical college trainees, and pastoralists are presented in this report as recommendations provided by USFS specialists with experience in range management and ecology. These recommendations are the result of discussions with Ethiopian NGO, federal and regional government staff, comments from individuals throughout lowland pastoralist areas, and observations by the USFS team, and are intended to support continued development of rangeland ecology and management training in the country of Ethiopia. USAID requested that this mission provide technical assistance and expertise in the areas of rangeland and livestock management with the goal of providing a training program and curriculum to improve rangeland management capacity among practitioners, educators, and decision- makers. This was accomplished by the team presenting current rangeland management training techniques and information. BACKGROUND USAID request and objectives of the technical assistance This technical assistance mission was developed in response to discussions between the US Forest Service International Programs Office, and the Office of Business Environment Agriculture and Trade (BEAT) of the U.S. Agency for International Development Ethiopia Mission. The request for technical assistance came about as USAID-Ethiopia began implementing the Pastoralist Livelihood Initiative (PLI) project, which has a significant rangeland resource and grazing management component associated with its successful implementation. The goal of the PLI is to reduce poverty, hunger and vulnerability to droughts and other shocks in selected pastoralist communities in Ethiopia. The objective of the PLI is to mitigate the impact of drought and other shocks by sustainably improving preparedness, livelihoods and incomes of pastoralists. The PLI program has four major intermediate results as follows: IR1: Stocking rates and production of livestock optimized in the extensive grazing areas of Somali, Afar, and the pastoral lowlands of Oromia Regional States. IR2: Pastoralists prepared for droughts and other shocks through the establishment of livestock specific early warning and response mechanisms in Somali and Afar regions and select lowland Woredas of southern Oromia region. IR3: Pastoralists income increased through efficient off-take of livestock and animal 5 products from pastoralist areas of Somali region, Afar region, and the lowlands of Orimia region as a result of improved access to well organized livestock markets. IR4: Harmonization of technical and policy processes to support the preparedness, livelihoods and incomes of the pastoralists strengthened. The PLI is being implemented by a consortium of non-governmental agencies (NGO’s) in collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia at all levels of government. Assistance awards were made in late September, 2005 with implementation activities beginning in October, 2005. This mission was conducted from October 20 through November 5, 2006. Before this technical assistance mission, USAID BEAT personnel emphasized their need for expert, outside opinion on matters related to rangeland and other resource management in pastoralist areas of Ethiopia. The USFS International Programs has a history of technical assistance missions in Africa