THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AUTHORITY

Participatory Process for the Preparation and Implementation of National Action Plan (NAP).

Significant strides have been made to implement the UNCCD. The finalization of the NAP through wider stakeholder participation including NGOs and CBOs, government institutions and concerned civil societies is one of the major achievements that paved the way for the UNCCD/NAP implementation in Ethiopia. To realize and promote the objectives of NAP, various measures have been undertaken, including public awareness, mainstreaming of gender in the NAP, establishment of NGOs/ CBOs Network for Combating Desertification and Mitigating the Effects of Drought, and formulation of the RAPs. A Road Map for NAP implementation has also been. At the federal level, some government institutions have already started to establish Environment Unit that deal with, environmental issues, including NAP. The regional states and the city administrations have been contributing to the process by providing resources for the establishment and functioning of their respective environmental protection institutions. These institutions are engaged in promoting awareness and spearheading environment policy and RAP implementations. Various NGOs have also been playing a key role in the implementation of NAP. They are active in the implementation of grass root projects and the provision of capacity building supports at national, regional and local levels. A national workshop on "Synergistic implementation of the UNCCD, UNCBD, and UNFCCC was conducted in Addis Ababa between April 29 and May 1, 2004. The workshop concluded, among others, that the synergistic implementation of the three conventions would harmonize the implementation process and utilize scarce resources efficiently. In addition, the workshop recommended that EPA, together with IBC and NMSA, should assume a leading role to realize the synergy at local levels. In order to further enhance the participatory process in the implementation of NAP at all levels, EPA, as a leading institution for the convention, has been relentlessly seeking contributions among the wider scope of stakeholders. However, in spite of such efforts and achievements recorded so far, there still exist some drawbacks with regard to the overall implementation of the NAP priority areas. These are: lack of networking or information exchange, insufficient financial support, inadequate donor involvement, and difficulty in mainstreaming NAP into the on-going national programmes and strategies, etc. To ameliorate these constraints, there is a need for targeted awareness raising for donors and government decision makers, finalization of Road Map, network establishment among the key partners of NAP implementers, and the establishment and operation of National Desertification Fund (NDF).download