Request number:

(Allocated by the Czech Development

Agency)

Project Concept Note

Title: Degraded Forest Land Restoration for Livelihood Improvement in Wondo Genet Area and
Capacity Building of Forestry School for Forestry Development (2022-2025)

Partner country: ETHIOPIA Region/town/locality: Sidama, Hawassa

City

Estimated total financial allocation (USD): Expected Czech ODA financial

1.500000 USD contribution (USD: 1000000 USD

Proposer / Partner Institution:

Name, type, mail and web address of partner institution; name and position of responsible manager, phone, fax, e-mail.

Mendel Univerity in Brno, Shiferaw Alem (Ph.D), Researcher and Project Manager, Tel. + 251-926448799, E-
mail:shife19@gmail.com,

Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Dr. Motuma Tolera, Dean of the College, Tel. + 251-916580110,
E-mail: motumatolera@gmail.com
Development challenge:
Problem analysis. Please explain current situation, identify major problems, their real causes and consequences,
(problem tree), stating the baseline for the intervention. (max 500 words)

Please explain current situation, identify major problems, their real causes and consequences (problem tree), stating the
baseline for the intervention. (max 500 words)

As compared to other part of the country, Wondo Genet area was once one of the sites in Ethiopia that are well
endowed with rich biodiversity, water resources and natural forests. Even though the area is known for its
productive and recreational potentials, different factors are deteriorating these potentials at the present. The
natural forests of the area are threatened due to unsustainable utilization, illegal cutting for fuel wood and
clearing for farmland expansion. The water resources are intensively used for irrigation both by individual
farmers and different institution in the area is becoming scares due to the loss of the forest coverage. Due to loss
of the forest cover sedimentation problems in this water shade area is aggravated and erosion problems are
affecting agricultural production in the downstream farmlands, in Cheleleka wetland. The water resources, which
were generated from the mountain area of the wondo genet catchment, which are used for irrigation and drinking
purposes are declining as a result of unsustainable water shade management problems. To avert the situation
restoration of the degraded forest area in an integrated approach such as tree planting along with soil and water
conservation measures through the participation of the local communities that are residing in the border areas of
the catchment area is important and should be considered as an urgent task to reduce its impact.
In Wondo Genet area, agroforestry was the major land use practice which was important to improve the
livelihood of the surrounding communities. However, these days, due to different reasons such as loss of soil
fertility as a result of erosion problems, the agroforestry practice in the area is replaced by ‘Khat’ production.
Khat  is a flowering plant that contains the alkaloid cathinone, a stimulant, which is said to cause excitement, loss
of appetite, and euphoria. As a result of the expansion of Khat production in many of the agroforestry areas, it is
affecting crop production and the livelihood of the communities is also threatened. As a result, improving the
agroforestry practices through the provision of high yielding varieties of fruit trees and marketable crops is
important to improve the livelihood of the communities.

Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, which is located in Wondo Genet area and one of the
oldest forestry schools in Ethiopia was also in a problem as a result of the loss of the natural forest in the
surrounding areas. According to some studies the total natural forest loss in the Wondo genet catchment area
between 1972 and 2000 amounts to over 40,000 ha, this is over 80 % of the forest cover. The loss of forests has
negatively affected practical forestry training at Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources in
which the college is heavily reliant on the small area of remaining natural forest for its outdoor exercises and
experiments. Therefore, to improve the quality of forestry education and to make it practical, establishing forests
that can serve for the practical education of the students, and also capacity building of the staffs through trainings
and the provision of different research materials is necessary to support the forestry development in Ethiopia.

A) Stakeholders
Define stakeholders who have significant influence or importance for the solution of the problem given above. (max 200 words)

The stakeholders of the project will be the different leaders and administrators of the Kebeles in Goto Anoma
Kebele, Shasha Kebele, Wosha Soyamaa kebele, Wetera Kechema Kebele, Abaro kebele, Mudeta Kebele and
Bechil Gigsa Kebele. The Leaders of the Kebeles and administrors will have an influence in community
mobilization for the soil and water conservation works and also tree planting activities that will be implemented
in each of their respective Kebeles. Besides, the Kebele leaders are influential in selecting model farmers to
establish agroforestry practices in each of the intended project Kebeles. Generally, each respective Kebele leader
and administrator has importance in selecting individuals for the different trainings for a capacity building, bylaw
development in closure areas and etc.

Wondo genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources plays a significant role in the project through the
provision of nursery site for the seedling raising activities of the project. It will have also an importance in
provision of trainings for the different capacity building activities in the different project implementing kebeles
surrounding the college and the natural forest. It will also be important in establishing model sites for the
practical education to the college’s students.

Sidama Region Agriculture and Natural Resource Bureau, Wondo Genet Woreda Agriculture and Natural
Resource office, youth groups, women organizations, seedling producers are an important stakeholder of the
project as they play a potential role restoration of degraded lands, and beneficiaries of the project.

B) Beneficiaries
Specify groups (e.g. women, men, girls, boys of different age, education, economic status and other categories) who shall directly benefit from the
intervention, and those who will benefit indirectly. (max 200 words)

Direct beneficiaries

 Communities residing in the different Kebeles of the project area

 Youths groups, women
 Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources
 Students and Lecturers of Wondo Genet College of forestry and Natural Resources

Indirect beneficiaries
- Agriculturalists whose land is affected by sedimentation and erosion problems because of
deforestation of the upper catchment area
- Different Governmental and non-governmental organizations that will employ forestry graduates
- Residents surrounding the Cheleleka wetland, as erosion and sedimentation problems will be reduced

Context analysis:
Describe key documents (e.g. government, regional, municipal strategies) and their linkage with the proposed intervention. Describe other relevant
development interventions executed by the government (or) in cooperation with other donors, the complementarity of the proposed intervention
with activities carried out so far. (max 300 words)
 The document of the National Forest Sector Development Program, Ethiopia, which is developed by Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MEFCC), gives emphasis for the reduction of deforestation in natural
forests and also to rehabilitate degraded lands. This document also emphasis to focus more on the practical
forestry education in Ethiopia.

The transformation and growth plane of Ethiopia also promotes sustainable management of forests, rehabilitation
of degraded lands to improve the different ecosystem services provided by forests. The document also promotes
to expand agroforestry in different landscapes to improve food security. It also indicated lack of practical forestry
as a bottle neck for the development of forestry sector in the country.

The agriculture and Energy policy documents of Ethiopia also indicated deforestation problems for fuel wood
and also agricultural land expansion as problems of the country. For this reason, the documents recommended
fuel wood expansion through tree planting in degraded lands which supports the idea of this project proposal.

Overall objective and expected outputs (results):

Describe the vision of an improved situation and expected results to be achieved through project implementation. You might propose specific
indicators of each result. (max 200 words)
Narrative Summary Objectively Verifiable indicators
Overall Objective: Area of degraded forest area rehabilitated
Restoration and rehabilitation of degraded
lands in wondo genet area to improve Number of people benefited from the restored land
livelihoods and practical forestry education and the practical forestry education
Specific Objective: Area of surrounding catchment area rehabilitated
To restore the degraded forest area by tree planting, soil and water conservation
structures, area exclosure
To create forest areas for the practical forestry
education through capacity building the Number of trainings provided in practical forestry
forestry school
Out put 1. Landscape planning accepted - Hacter of land in the catchment under
and implemented by trained officials watershed management plan with functional
with active participation of communities erosion control measures

Output 2. Protected (closure) areas

established and controlled by communities - Hacter of degraded forest land rehabilitated
through area closure, tree plantaing, and
improved and grafted fruit trees
- Quantities of forest trees and agroforestry
species distributed to the communities and
planted in degraded lands
Output 3. Adopted sustainable practices that - Hacter of degraded forest area and
lead to soil and water conservation agricultural lands in the different project
kebeles covered by soil and water
conservation structures
- Number of people trained in soil and water
conservation
- Number of model hoseholds engaged in
agroforestry practices
 - Number of teachers and students of the
forestry school who trained in practical
forestry education and soil and water
conservation

Output 4. Increased adequate nutritional - Quantity of improved and grafted fruit trees
intake and food security for households planted in different project area households

-
Assumptions and risks:
Briefly analyse external factors that might threaten the proposed intervention as well as critical assumptions for successful implementation. (max
300 words): -
1. Assumption for successful implementation:

 The willingness of different institutions to implement the project collaboratively

 The existence of different government structures at grass root level to implement the project
 The experience to provide community services by the staffs of the forestry college
 The existing forest, agriculture and environmental policies which supports the project idea

2. Risk:
 Inflation problem on goods and services
 Lack of forestry modern tools and equipment’s in the local market
 Inaccessibility of some localities
 Conflict in the project areas

Date and Signature:

Place, date, name of authorised person within proposer / partner institution and his/her signature, stamp.

Local authority/partner approval:

Place, date, name of authorised person and his/her signature, stamp.

By submitting this document, the promoter agrees that the analysis and other information in
this document can be used and even modified by the Czech Development Agency for the
needs of the Czech ODA, including for public procurement, grant calls, or other processing.