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Pilot Sites
For the RUL initiative in Ethiopia, apart
from the Global Benchmark site, i.e., Addis Ababa, additional nine
pilot sites were selected. Forward and backward flows of environmental
resources, products, people and information follow certain patterns
before it reaches the remoter rural areas or the capital city from
the rural areas. This has been conceptualized on Figure 1 below
showing patterns of interaction, which are complex and non-liner,
within immediate regions of influence and beyond.
Figure 1: A conceptual interaction
model of RUL in Ethiopia.
Moreover, the different parts of the country
have also different biophysical and socioeconomic peculiarities
and the nature of the RUL adheres to these situations. Therefore,
to better understand how the RUL system functions and introduce
mitigation measures selection of sites representing different scenarios
were considered. As a result the following nine additional pilot
sites were selected (see also Figure 2 below):
No |
Pilot sites and Scenarios it represent
|
| 1 |
Awassa-Shashemene: representing high-value horticultural production
and strong market linkage with Addis Ababa. It also captures
the areas with extensive root crops, as well as perennial and
semi-perennial cropping culture. Important also to capture highland-lowland
(rift valley) connection. |
| 2 |
Goba-Robe: representing the distant mountainous regions holding
the Bale Mountain Ranges (which is one of the protected areas
with a wide variety of biodiversity including many threatened
species), high potential but poorly developed region |
| 3 |
Jimma: representing areas specialized on production of high
value forest products and byproduct (timber and non-timber)
in the country such as coffee, timber, spices, etc. |
| 4 |
Assosa: representing emerging regions with biophysical potential
but less developed urban culture |
| 5 |
Bahir Dar: representing areas with considerable physical distance
from Addis but an area that can be a growth center by itself;
internationally very important area from the Nile basin initiative
perspective. |
| 6 |
Mekele: representing areas with high physical distance from
Addis Ababa, mostly semi-arid, degraded and food insecure highland
areas. Very important from food security and environmental rehabilitation
point of view. |
| 7 |
Dessie: representing areas with extreme food insecurity, highly
degraded and geographically ragged terrain. It is also very
important site in terms of highland lowland interaction as well. |
| 8 |
Harer: representing areas with moderate physical distance
from Addis, mostly semi-arid condition and moderate to high
level of degradation in the eastern highland of the country
with extensive chat and quality beef production. |
| 9 |
DM-Chokie: representing areas with
extensive mountain ranges located in the middle of food secure
areas but with high rate of land degradation, high population
pressure, and food insecurity, rich in biodiversity but not
considered as part of the protected areas. |
Figure 2: Proposed satellite
sites for the RUL project representing different scenarios in the
country
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