ACCESS4ALL Group

Based on the case study from the Philippines and information about Ethiopia's climate challenges, here is a draft discussion comment you can adapt and post. It draws parallels between the two countries while highlighting Ethiopia's unique situation.

Comparing Climate Challenges and Community Resilience: Ethiopia and the Philippines

Reflecting on the inspiring case study from the Philippines, I see both profound similarities and key differences when comparing it to the situation in my country, Ethiopia.

Similarities in Challenges and Grassroots Spirit

· Escalating Climate Hazards: Like the Philippines faces intensified typhoons, Ethiopia is experiencing more frequent and severe climate-driven disasters. These include catastrophic floods, landslides, and extreme events like the recent devastating windstorm in Afdera. Climate change is increasing the intensity of rainfall, which saturates soils in our highlands, triggering deadly landslides.

· Vulnerable Communities: The impacts are not felt equally. The most affected are often rural, agricultural communities and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have limited resources to cope. For instance, studies in flood-prone areas like the Itang watershed show that female-headed households often have a harder time implementing protective measures due to gender-based constraints.

· Power of Local Knowledge and Action: The core similarity is the incredible resilience of communities. Even without consistent external aid, households employ a range of local coping strategies. These can be reactive, like moving to higher ground or temporarily migrating after a flood, or more anticipatory, like adjusting planting calendars and elevating assets. This mirrors the community-led initiative in the Philippines.

Key Differences in Context and Solutions

The main difference lies in the primary ecosystems and hazards we face, which leads to different restoration and adaptation solutions.

· Ecosystem Focus: While the Philippines restores coastal mangroves for storm buffering, Ethiopia's key interventions often center on terrestrial ecosystems. Efforts focus on landscape restoration to combat soil erosion, which exacerbates floods and landslides. Programs by NGOs, for example, support the rehabilitation of degraded land and promote climate-smart agriculture.

· Institutional Support Landscape: Ethiopia faces a complex humanitarian crisis driven by both climate shocks and conflict, leading to a large population of IDPs (over 3.3 million). This means the institutional response involves a vast coordination of humanitarian clusters (like the CCCM Cluster) and international NGOs working on both emergency relief and long-term resilience. Support includes providing emergency shelter, clean water, cash assistance, and supporting government health services.

Connecting Environmental Action to Broader Development

The Philippines case beautifully shows how environmental restoration is linked to poverty, gender, and resilience. We see similar connections in Ethiopia:

· Poverty & Livelihoods: Restoring land and promoting climate-smart agriculture directly protects the livelihoods of farming families, who are most at risk from climate shocks.

· Gender: As noted, women face specific barriers in adaptation. Effective programs must be gender-responsive, ensuring women have access to resources, information, and leadership roles in community resilience planning.

· Resilience: Every intervention—from planting seedlings to building a water system—is a step toward helping communities withstand the next shock. The goal is to move from short-term coping to long-term, transformative adaptation.

In conclusion, while our landscapes and specific hazards differ—mangroves vs. highlands—the fundamental truth is the same: empowering local communities with the right support is key to building resilience against the climate crisis. The story from the Philippines is a powerful reminder of what is possible.

I hope this comparison provides useful insights. I'm keen to hear how others in different countries see these parallels.

Key Statistics: Climate Hazards in Ethiopia

To visualize the scale of the challenges, here are some key data points:

Recent Major Events

· Afdera Windstorm (2025): Destroyed 2,527 homes and displaced ~26,000 people

· Geze Gofa Landslides (2024): Resulted in at least 257 fatalities and displaced over 15,000

· Itang Watershed Flooding (Example): A 2019 flood event displaced over 10,000 people

Primary Climate Hazards (based on historical data)

· Drought: A major and recurring disaster with widespread impact.

· Flood: Increasing in frequency and severity, heavily linked to climate change.

· Landslide: Often triggered by intense rainfall, especially in highland regions.

Humanitarian Context

· Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): Approximately 3.36 million people are displaced, with climate disasters compounding displacement caused by conflict.

To explore this topic further, you might consider:

· Local Case Studies: Looking into specific community-based adaptation projects in regions like Gambella or the Afar region.

· Policy Frameworks: Researching Ethiopia's Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy and how it translates to local action.

· Gender and Adaptation: Investigating programs specifically designed to support women-led households in building climate resilience.

If you can share which aspect of this comparison you find most relevant—whether it's community strategies, ecosystem solutions, or the role of NGOs—I can try to find more specific information for you.