Project Title
Strengthening the research center and community service on disaster risk management to improve food security and agricultural productivity in the Amhara Regional State (Ethiopia)
Sentence of the project
«I’ve learned to work with communities on these communities to reverse my professional knowledge, but I’ve learned from them»I have Learned how to Work with the community, learn from the community and Deliver professional services back to the community
Context
According to the report “State of food insecurity in the world” publish by FAO in 2009, between 2004 and 2006, there was in Ethiopia 34.6 million undernourished. This situation has improved since 1990-1992. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to reach the Millennium Development goals, reduce to halve undernourished between 1990 and 2015. People that are within this vulnerability situation are; small farmers families, shepherds, agriculture wage earners (published at “Estrategia de lucha contra el hambre de la Cooperación Española, MAEC, 2007). Those facts are very important in rural country like Ethiopia. Taking into account this situation Bahir Dar Univiersity (BDU) and Institut Interuniversitario de Desarrollo Local (IIDL) form University Jaume I (UJI) and Valencia University General Study (UVEG) did a seminar on participative planning at BDU (1-4 June 2010). This seminar was the beginning of the collaboration project.
Objectives
Improving the quality of academic management, by supporting teaching and research staff, administrative and services staff of the BDU in monitoring the effectiveness of the training and research within the project. The specific objectives are as follows:
• Promote quality and innovation in the research generated from the BDU to increase agricultural productivity through cooperation in the study of models by tests and experiments on plant nutrition, crop protection, introduction of new species and technologies.
• Enhance teaching and research skills of the BDU staff on the application of GIS to food security and disaster risk management doing workshops in the BDU with internships at the UJI and joint delivery an e-learning training course on GIS and risk management.
• Support the BDU to implement university extension services for rural development (locally) in order to promote food security in Amhara Region, with participation of local representatives (small farmers, shepherds and associations) who will act as multipliers in their home communities.
• To promote, from the BDU, networking among development actors (regional / state), promoting coordination and complementarity between them and using the capabilities of the university to help government officials, professionals and researchers in risk management.
• Strengthening cooperation between BDU and UJI consolidating a stable core of research and teaching on local risk management, seeking partnership consolidation based on quality and academic excellence.
Impact
The cooperation project has managed to establish a cooperation framework and mutual understanding between Bahir Dar University and University Jaume I. As result of this collaboration research material has been purchase for the department of agriculture and Disaster Risk Management.
With the material purchased for the department of agriculture various investigations has been carried out, including studies of «potato crop’s adaptation to local conditions».
Seminars in GIS and an online course have been done to train members of the BDU
Has been done a seminar on local network among 31 institutions related with food security.
Training courses have been used to Knowledge transfer from universities to local communities, such as training course on risk reduction involving 50 staff of different woredas.
Last but not least, mentioning the role played by this project for strengthening the role of women in decision-making.
Project partners
Spanish Agency for International Cooperation Development, AECID.
Universista Jaume I
Bahir Dar University
General Information
Project duration: 2011-2013
Investment: € 149,500
Target people Teacher Training and Students of the BDU. Municipal managers of the Amhara region.
Actor assessment project
Kasie Tesfahun. Professor of the Disaster Risk Management Department at BDU.
There are Several Important Aspects of the project for BDU in General and CAES in particular. First, as part of BDU’s Strategic Objective in Strengthening linkage with International Universities, the project plays an Important Role in Establishing the ground work for further exchange of students and teaching staff and BDU Between UJI. Second, the project contributes a lot in the provision of community services can be best That lessons for other programs and Faculties of BDU. Third, as BDU wants to Establish GIS and Agriculture laboratories, the project contributes in Providing laboratory equipments. Last but not least, the need for the project Initiates Improving the culture of group work across disciplines.
The project Helps to Improve the capacity of Disaster Risk Management Department Department (DRMSD) in Various ways. First, staff members DRMSD Involved in the project Have Developed The Knowledge and skill in the community Identifying Needs and Delivering training and advisory services related to DRR / CCA / FS. Second, provision of equipments Including current GIS technologies android Helps students to learn Practical application of GIS in DRM. Third, the project Also Helps to Strengthen networking going efforts of the department with Other Stakeholders Involved in DRM and food security-through Organizing seminars and Consultative meetings. Fourth, department staff members have got the Opportunity to Attend special trainings in GIS and other software related UJI Through the help of experts.
I have Learned how to Work with the community, learn from the community and Deliver professional services back to the community in Matters related to DRR / CCA / FS. As technical coordinator of the project, I have project coordination skills Also Learned from UJI Both senior staffs and BDU Involved in the project.
I think there is strong Individual and Organizational relationship Between the two Universities, and the project has Already Established ground works for further areas of collaboration.