Horn of Africa Regional Livestock Program (RLP)
Background
THE RLP came to existence with recognition of livestock as a key economic engine of arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) in the Horn of Africa (HOA). Particularly in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. ICPALD is implementing the program in partnership with Mercy Corps, and Helvetas with Welthungerhilfe (WHH). RLP aims to leverage growing consumer demand for animal source foods and the associated rise in livestock production and trade in ASAL economies, with the aims of increasing the incomes of poor agro-pastoralist and pastoralist households and economically empowering peri-urban and rural women engaged in the livestock sector.
To achieve the scale and quality of impact required to reach sustainable and systemic change, Helvetas, WHH, IGAD, and Mercy Corps will implement in RLP. Helvetas will lead all RLP interventions in the Moyale trade corridor (Nairobi-Moyale-Adama-Addis Ababa) and provide technical leadership and collaboration in the areas of natural resource management (NRM), market systems development, women’s economic empowerment, and gender and governance as cross-cutting elements. In a sub-grant with Helvetas, WHH will be responsible for improving the production and productivity of smallholder and medium-scale livestock producers by promoting participatory and inclusive natural resource governance systems within the Moyale corridor. IGAD will take the lead on working with national and sub-national government structures to strengthen policy, coordination, and management of the livestock sector by national and cross-border authorities. It will use the IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI) mechanism to mobilise political support and facilitate bilateral and transboundary discussions between countries, thus providing an enabling environment for policy dialogue, common action, and joint investment. Mercy Corps will lead interventions within the Tog Wajaale, Galkayo, and Afmadow live animal trade corridors, as well as the camel milk trade corridor linking Wajir/Garissa to Nairobi. Mercy Corps will also provide technical leadership and collaboration around interventions focused on market development and trade.
Project Objective
To achieve a more productive, climate-resilient, inclusive and competitive livestock sector that drives the economic well-being and food security of dryland communities.
Specific Objectives
The specific objective of Phase I is that pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in target trade corridors have more climate resilient, inclusive, and sustainable livelihoods, with a focus on increasing production and productivity of poor agro-pastoralist and pastoralist households, especially peri-urban and rural women engaged in the livestock sector.
ICPALD’s Role
ICPALD is responsible in the program to undertake interventions under outcome 3. The interventions focus on rangeland use and livestock trade policy frameworks, animal disease control MoUs, and natural disaster response preparedness and response in relation to their impacts on communities and livestock market actors in border areas between Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. The operationalization of improved protocols resulting from these interventions will be promoted through their dissemination at meetings and using awareness creation modalities, ensuring that communities, livestock value chain actors, and public officials in targeted border areas and other sub-national levels know and understand these protocols.
Budget for ICPALD for phase I: USD 2.095 million
The Program Duration: The current phase is for four-year cover from March 2023 to December 2026
Donor – Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
Implementing Partners: Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Mercy Corps, and Helvetas with Welthungerhilfe (WHH)
Dr. Ameha Sebsibe
Head, Livestock and Fisheries
(RLP Coordinator – IGAD Component)
IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development
Tel: +254 737 777742
Mobile: +254 721 233045
Email: [email protected]
Kabete Vetlabs, Kapenguria Road, Off Waiyaki Way,
P.O. Box 47824-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
