Alumni Seminars in Partner Countries> 2016 Ethiopia - Tigray the Second
Second International DAAD Alumni Expert Seminar “Integrated solutions to answer challenges of food insecurity in times of climate change”
This seminar was the second out of a series of two and was held at Mekelle, Ethiopia from 01st of March to 12th of March 2016.
20 German Alumni participants in 2015 and 21 Alumni in 2016 with different professional backgrounds related to IWRM were drawn from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan and Germany. Alumni shared their experience with participants from Relief Society of Tigray, Mekelle University, Bureau of Agriculture, GIZ, other institutions, and of course the farmers in the area.
Experts from the partner REST and Mekelle University ensured the integration of concepts into the existing institutional framework and the implementation of the planned activities. Two lecturers of the CICD, Universität Siegen, and one lecturer from ITT Cologne participated as organisers and resource persons
Objective
Based on the experiences of the first seminar held in April 2015, the objective was to get more insights in the institutional framework enabling the successful implementation of natural resource conservation measures. Field work will be undertaken in different areas of southern Tigray region. Models to multiply the good practice seen in Ethiopian highlands shall be finally developed through East African and local alumni to path the ways for similar implementation in adjacent regions.
Preparation
Prior, during and after the field visits; experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water Resources, REST, Addis Ababa University (EiABC) and Mekelle University shared an overview of the past and current status of bio-physical and socio-economic aspects of the Tigray and Amhara regional state. Participants gave feedback to the presentations and also shared their experiences and knowledge from their countries with their Ethiopian counterparts and community leaders.
Excursion
For the second seminar in 2016, the group decided to start with a bus journey from Addis to Mekelle with stops at the road to get an overview on Soil and Water Conservation activities in Amhara and southern Tigray region, after covering the northern part of Tigray region in the first year. The travel started from Addis Ababa towards Kemisie, Dessie, Hayek, Woldeya, Lalibela, Kobo, Alamata, Raya Azebo, Endamehoni, Korem, up to Mekelle. The expert group was divided into four focus groups, whose task was to give increased attention and analyses to the integrated solutions of “Irrigation Techniques”, “Food Security Packages”, “Soil and Water Conservation” and “Socio-economic aspects”.
The Report 2016 for download
German institutions active in GAWN
- DWA - German Association for Water, Waste water and Waste
- Cologne University of Applied Sciences, ITT - Institute for Technology in the Tropics
- Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe, Institute for Sanitary Engineering
- University of Siegen, Centre for International Capacity Development
- Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences - Urban water management
- Justus Liebig Universität Giessen - Center for international Development and Environmental Research
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Technical Hydrodynamics
- cewas - a Swiss non-profit association specialised in improving business practices in water and sanitation
- Weltweit – Gesellschaft zur Förderung lokaler Initiativen e. V.