General

Low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) require solutions that adapt livestock systems to climate change while improving nutritional security, reducing poverty, increasing social equity and socio-political security, without accelerating greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) or degrading land, water, and biodiversity. Rangeland systems, home to 46% of ruminant production systems, face additional challenges to their long-term climate resilience, including land fragmentation and degradation, and long-term neglect (Herrero et al., 2016i; Ayal et al., 2018ii; FAO, 2018iii; Cervigni and Morris, 2016iv). Strategic, well-targeted action research can provide answers to the tough choices and tradeoffs as well as ‘investable’ solutions that attract policy attention and climate finance.

Facing a climate emergency, research must provide proven adaptive measures that safeguard and capitalize on livestock benefitsv. Livestock are essential to the income and livelihoods of almost 930 million poor Africans and South Asiansvi, especially in drylands, where livestock production is the most ecologically rational farming choicevii. Consuming animal-source foods (ASF) has positive impacts on our cognitive developmentviii and growthix, and animals are a critical safety net and source of income for women.

Livestock production is highly vulnerable to rising temperatures, erratic precipitation and increasing extreme eventsx. About US$311 billion in livestock production value (~40% of total) are exposed to various climate hazards, especially drought (88 billion US$), climate variability (84 billion US$) and heat stress (US$61 billion)xi. Dryland pastoral systems experience intensifying impacts from climate change and other forces (Herrero et al., 2016xii; Cervigni and Morris, 2016xiii). Climate is a threat multiplier, exacerbating existing risks and insecurities that may lead to further tensionsxiv and conflictsxv. This is important for livestock agrifood systems (LAFS), where conflicts on natural resources access, use and management (land, pasture and water) are a widespread concernxvi. Innovations such as improved and widely disseminated climate information services show promisexvii, but there is little experience using them in LAFS.

Research must also provide innovations that mitigate livestock climate impacts. Livestock cause ~15% of human-induced GHG emissionsxviii largely due to low feed efficienciesxix land use changexx, land degradationxxi and deforestationxxii. Land degradation in rangelands is a particular concern; while restoration offers opportunities for carbon sequestration, rangelands receive little attention compared with forests (CDKN, 2021xxiii; IISD, 2016xxiv; Andrieu et al., 2017xxv ; Haddad et al., 2021xxvi; Cervigni and Morris, 2016xxvii). Nearly 50% of LMICs prioritize livestock-actions in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – national blueprints for climate actionxxviii, and some are developing livestock-based Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actionsxxix (NAMAs), but implementation lags. Governments need technical support to access finance, implement programs and report mitigation achievementsxxx. These challenges apply equally to the private sector where large-scale production changes landscapes, and supply and demand shifts can provide major benefits and influence consumer behavior, yet evidence for the livestock sector is scarce, meaning that investment in resilient, low emissions (RLE) practices by private actors along livestock value chains is lowxxxi.

General

This project will work to promote effective mechanisms to secure land and resource rights and improve land governance systems, working directly with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). This project focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia.

Objectives

CARE has planned to respond to Nutrition need of communities in Borena zone of Oromia region who are affected by food insecurity and under nutrition that happened due to climate change induced drought, desert locust infestation (DLI) and human conflict. Drought, shortage of clean water and occurrence of other emergencies in the proposed woredas has led to the emergence of multiple public health concerns such as undernutrition, and other health problems. Multiagency rapid assessment conducted Nov. 2021 in Borena zone indicated that the last “Gena” rain able to support only 30% of the expected production. The assessment also noted that “Hageya” rain which was supposed to rain b/n mid sept. to Nov. was totally failed in most of the woredas including those proposed for this response. Due to shortage of enough rain fall during the last rain season (Hagaya) dreadful pasture condition was observed in all the visited woredas. Particularly enormous land degradation and the resultant pasture depletion is common in most woredas due to the prevailing drought. In addition, DLS is also reported in 7 woredas, including those proposed for this response, and fueling the scarcity of pasture. Communicative effect of drouth and DLI, that hampered availability of water and pasture, resulted in emaciation and death of livestock mainly cuttle, which are livelihood back bone of the community in Borena. The assessment indicated that over 69,008 livestock died, and 114,264 are emaciated with high likelihood of dying. Of the total livestock death, 5622, 4231, 19469 and 7055 are in Guchi, Wachile, Dillo and Dubluk respectively where this project planned to support. Subsequent effects of the drought and the death/deterioration of livestock has led to serious food insecurity and under nutrition. This situation has been raising the need for humanitarian intervention primarily Nutrition and Health among others. The government of Ethiopia in coordination with UN agencies and INGOs has been providing support. Yet, the support is far less than the need and the strain of health service provision including nutrition continue to exist because of increasing cases of acute malnutrition and in adequate local capacities. Therefore, CARE proposes Emergency Nutrition support to communities affected by acute under nutrition, children, and women in particular, in Guchi, Wachile, Dillo and Dubluk woredas. The project will also mainstream protection to the nutrition response by integrating PSAE, and protection of GBV. Basic PSAE/GBV training will be provided to HWs and community volunteers, Individual and group counseling on PSAE will also be provided to target community by the trained HWs and volunteers. The project will also establish and support network of reporting to law enforcement body of any SAE and GBV incidents in the project operation area. The project targeted to reach 34744 beneficiaries in total (double counting controlled). Below is targets by type. 881 children under 5 suffering from severe acute malnutrition 12964 Children under five suffering from moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) 16899 pregnant and lactating mothers suffering from MAM 34744 individuals with IYCF-E and COVID-19 prevention and control messages 1800 individuals with counseling on PSAE and prevention of GBV