Biodiversity in a changing climate: community-based strategies for the protection, management and development of wild coffee’s region of origin

The project contributed to the protection and renaturation of the cloud forests and wetlands of south-western Ethiopia’s Kafa Biosphere Reserve. Together with the local population, the project assesed the current state of various ecosystems through, e.g. the introduction of a watershed management system and improved them through reforestation of the natural forest and renaturation measures. Biodiversity is protected by establishing a monitoring system and deploying rangers. A sustainable and participatory community management system was founded to protect natural resources. To increase the understanding of biodiversity and promote regional development, individual development programmes were introduced.. Overall, the project contributed to the achievement of objectives laid out in Ethiopia’s Climate-Resilient Green Economy Strategy and linked climate change mitigation and biodiversity protection with targeted regional development.

Project data

Countries: Ethiopia
IKI funding: 2,363,995.00 €
Duration: 02/2014 till 07/2017
Status: completed
Implementing organisation: Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (NABU)
Political Partner: Bureau of Agriculture (BoA) - Ethiopia

Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) - Ethiopia

Ministry of Environmental Protection and Forestry (MoEPF) - Ethiopia*

Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) - Ethiopia

Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPR) - Ethiopia
Implementing Partner: Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (DSW) - Deutschland

GEO e.V.

Original Food GmbH
Online: http://www.kafa-biodiversity.com/

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State of implementation/results

Project completed
Two field assignments have taken place and pilot activities have been carried out for protecting the watersheds in the Kafa region.
Biodiversity assessments have been conducted with the assistance of German voluntary specialist groups, rangers and community representatives. Some species were seen for the first time in the region, such as the black panther.
Screening of potential sustainable products for commercialisation has been carried out as part of the ‘Indigenous Women and Biodiversity’ development programme. Wax was identified as one possible natural product with great potential.
Partner companies have further adapted the energy-saving ovens in order to be able to utilise coffee husks for producing energy. However, they cannot yet be used in households.

Latest Update:
01/2025