Project Profile

IDDRSI RPLRP Project Profile 

Project Title: Regional Pastoral Livelihoods Resilience Project (RPLRP)

Introduction

Livelihood systems in the drought-prone Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) of the Horn of Africa (HoA) have been under-resourced, leaving their population more vulnerable to external stressors. Droughts of varying intensity and increasing frequency have hit the HoA in the past four decades; mechanisms were not in place for drought resilience. These perennial drought crises have severely impoverished the natural resource base of the ASALs, rendering pastoralists’ traditional livelihoods throughout the HoA increasingly tenuous. Climate change will likely worsen and intensify the frequency and magnitude of droughts and floods in the region.

IGAD and the Member States developed a strategy to end drought emergencies called the IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI). The IDDRSI strategy has markedly changed design elements of the development programmes and projects by harmonising short and medium-term humanitarian interventions with long-term development programmes, to build drought resilience over time.

Regional Pastoral Livelihoods Resilience Project (RPLRP) seeks to develop regional solutions to challenges faced by pastoralists who reside in the ASALs of Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia, to enhance opportunities for livelihood development available to them. The ecosystems from which pastoralists derive their livelihoods often go beyond national borders, as do the livestock market networks that provide them with opportunities for income growth. Seasonal and cross-border mobility is a crucial feature of pastoralism allowing pastoralists to carry out livestock-based livelihoods in the ASALs, to cope with droughts and to manage conflicts over natural resource use. Thus regional approach to the challenges of ASALs is an important aspect.

Project Objectives

To enhance livelihoods resilience of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in cross-border drought prone areas of Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, as well as improve the capacity of these Countries’ governments to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency.

Project Components

  1. Natural Resources Management: aims at enhancing the sustainable management and secures access of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities at natural resources (water and pasture) with trans-boundary significance.
  2. Market Access and Trade: aims at improving the market access of the agro-pastoralists and pastoralists to the intra-regional and international markets of livestock and livestock products.
  3. Livelihood Support: aims at enhancing the livelihoods of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities.
  4. Pastoral Risk Management: aims at enhancing drought-related hazards and preparedness, prevention and response at the national and regional levels.

Institutional Arrangements

The RPLRP in each of the three countries and IGAD operate independently but connected at IGAD level, providing bases for regional approach. The IGAD RPLRP coordination unit is operating under IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (ICPALD) from Nairobi. In Ethiopia RPLRP Project coordination unit is within the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock supported by four teams responsible for coordinating at four Regional States (Oromia, Afar, SNNP and Ethio-Somali). The project operation area covers 21 woredas largely inhabited by pastoral and agro-pastoral communities. In Kenya the RPLRP national project coordination unit is under the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, State department of livestock operating in 14 ASAL counties. In Uganda the RPLRP national project coordination unit is under in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. It operates in 12 districts.

Project Progress until 31st December 2015

Project area

The RPLRP Funding from the World Bank/IDA

IGAD grant value US$ 5 million; Kenya loan value US$ 77 million; Ethiopia loan value US$ 75 million; and, Uganda loan value US$ 40 million.

Project Progress for the IGAD (Regional Component), June 2021

  1. Support to Countries through Cross-Border Mapping
  1. Capacity Building Support to Countries through Training
  • Drought Disaster Contingency Planning Trainer Train: 14 staff from Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda trained for five days; training manual prepared to cascade the training at sub-national level;
  • Livestock Emergency guidelines and Standards (LEGS): five-day training organized for 14 staff from Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda the three project countries and IDDRSI national coordinators;
  • GIS and Web-based map editing: five days training organized for 6 staff from the project countries in order to support allow continued update of web-based water infrastructure map;
  • Integrated Water Resource Management System (IWRMS): Five days training on use of the IWRMS software by software developer organized for 6 experts from ICPAC and ICPALD;
  • Community-based small ruminant breeding: training on community-based small ruminant breeding programs’ conducted during 29th October to 2nd November 2018 in Hawassa, Ethiopia. The training was organized in partnership with ICARDA and 15 trainees, 5 from each of Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.
  • TAD Emergency Management Regional Training: Training on Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) Emergency Management, Simulation Exercises and Preparation of Contingency Plan organized in Naivasha, Kenya; 11- 16th February, 2019. A total of 20 government staff participated representing Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Uganda.
  • Disease Risk Analysis to support Safe Trade: An integrated training approach composed of online e-learning, two face-to-face sessions and application and reporting phases were applied to provide the trainees with practical, in-depth training on qualitative risk analysis. A total of 9 participants, three each from Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda participated.
  • LMIS: Training on Setting up and Supporting Livestock Market Information System (LMIS) organized in partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife Research for six government staff from Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.
  • Livestock Value Chain Analysis: Regional Training of Trainers (ToT) course on strengthening livestock value chain was organized for technical staff drawn from Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya. The training was organized during 3rd to 8th December 2018 in Adama, Ethiopia for 15 people.
  1. Support to Regional Strategy
  • Five year (2017 – 20121) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) strategy prepared for IGAD region and document disseminated. Most countries adopted the regional strategy.
  • Five year (2017 – 2021) Animal Health strategy for trans-boundary animal disease prevention and control prepared for the IGAD region and document disseminated. Countries in the region started adopting the strategy.
  • Rangeland management strategic framework prepared and disseminated. The countries in the region are at different stages of adopting.
  1. The Following Regional Studies and Policy Reviews Were Completed
  • Stock-taking study and gap-analysis of financial products for pastoralist;
  • Study and gap-analysis of cross-border livestock trade policy and practices;
  • Review of policies related to pastoral land management for the three project countries (Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda);
  • Review of role of private and public sector in supply of animal health services in the IGAD region;
  • Review of pastoralist area early warning system (EWS) and risk profiling methods in the three project counties (Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda);
  • Study of complementary livelihood options in the cross-border areas of Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. The report used to guide livelihood interventions in the three countries;
  • Study report of total economic valuation of pastoralism in Ethiopia;
  • Study report of total economic valuation of pastoralism in Uganda.

 Regional Workshops to Discuss Pertinent Regional Issues

  • Three regional meetings organized in an effort to harmonize Grade and Standards for live animal, meat and hide and skin of the three project countries. The Countries now harmonized these Grade and Standards.
  • Regional Animal feed and rangeland working group established and annual meetings regularly supported to facilitate exchange of good practice at the regional level. The project supported three events.
  • Workshop to review animal breeding status in the region: A two-day workshop was contacted during 7-9th June, 2018 to share experiences of the IGAD countries on animal breeding and multiplication. Participants from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Uganda included directors in charge of national animal breeding division and managers of breeding and multiplication center.
  • Regional workshop on Land governance and pastoralism was organized (April 24–25, 2018) involving professionals from Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda.
  • Regional workshop on Camel: two-day regional workshop was organized to review the current status of camel production and marketing during 13th & 14th June 2019. Workshop participants included veterinary technical personnel, the private sector (milk processors, exporter and association), research institutions (ILRI and KALRO), non-governmental organizations (Mercy Corp, World vision and Save the Children) and (USAID).
  • Workshop on Livestock Market Information System (LMIS): two-day regional workshop was organized to review current and past practices of LMIS in the IGAD region (5-6th March 2018). Participants represented all IGAD countries, non-state actors and stakeholders.

Harmonized System

  • Cross-border area predictive rangeland forage model developed (housed at ICPAC) and regularly used as an advisory tool for early warning following seasonal rain forecast. Link: https://eahazardswatch.icpac.net/
  • Livestock market information system (LMIS): Supported and delivered harmonized LMIS in Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda. Link http://www.lmiske.go.ke
  • Supported multiple synchronized Cross-border Disease surveillance and vaccination between Uganda and Kenya and Kenya and Ethiopia;
  • Grade and standard of live animal and meat harmonized among Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.

The Following Policy Briefs were Prepared and Disseminated

  • Total economic valuation of pastoralism in Ethiopia
  • Total economic valuation of pastoralism in Uganda
  • Animal health services in the ASALs of the IGAD region
  • Animal feed security in the IGAD region
  • The role of public and private sector in animal health service provision in the IGAD region
  • Sustainable management of rangelands in the IGAD region
  • Enhancing SPS implementation in the IGAD region

Regional Coordination

  • Cross-border conflict prevention and management platform established in the three IGAD Clusters (Cluster 1, 2 &3);
  • At least 12 regional meetings organized to wrap up joint implementation mission (ISM) for team consisting IGAD, World Bank and project countries.
  • Cross-border meetings facilitated between Kenya and Ethiopia and Kenya and Uganda to agree on sites for cross-border infrastructure. As a result, more than 87 infrastructures (54 water, 30 livestock market, 3 border inspection point and a veterinary laboratory) have been constructed on cross-border areas.
  • Support provided for the three project countries to allow participation of livestock experts in the Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHA COF), organized by ICPAC. Three per year.
  • Four regional knowledge fair share supported in order to facilitate exchange of RPLRP good practices with similar resilience initiatives in the region.
  • Two exchange visits (sand dam management and co-management of livestock markets) organized for the three countries.

 

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