Abreha Weatsbeha Community Ethiopia: Equator Initiative Case Studies. Sustainable Development Solutions for people, nature and resilient communities

Background

This report from UNDP is intended to "the the full story ofhow (innovative sustainable developments solutions) evolve,the breadth of their impacts (and) how they change over time" through the case study of Abreha we Atsbeha in Ethiopia. Out of 800 contestants, the community in Abreha we Atsbeha was awarded the Equator Prize in along with US$20,000 in 2012 in recognition of their tremendous work on the restoration of degraded land and subsequent increases in food security, nutrition, and local livelihoods.

Reported Takeaways

The report details how the formation of the Abreha we Atsbeha Natural Resource Management Initiative and their adoption of the 'micro-catchment ecosystem management model' was instrumental in effecting community-based landscape level changes to reverse the tide of desertification through improved water management, changing local agricultural practices, tree plantingand agroforestry, and community education and local problem-solving.  The report details the positive impacts of these activities on biodiversity, socioeconomics, production, and policy, and outlines pathways forward for sustainability and replication.