Addis ababa: The Government of Ethiopia and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have signed a Grant Agreement amounting to USD 69.2 million for the implementation of Phase II of the Lowland Livelihoods Resilience Project (LLRP II). The agreement is designed to strengthen the livelihoods and bolster the climate resilience of pastoral and agropastoral communities in Ethiopia’s lowland regions.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, the project is cofinanced with the World Bank and will directly benefit 3 million people across eight regions. It aims to achieve this through interventions in areas such as Climate-Smart Livelihoods, Commercialization and Diversification, Integrated Rangeland Management, and Disaster Risk Reduction.

This new phase of the project builds upon the successes of previous collaborations in Phase I, which focused on mitigating climate shocks. The earlier phase achieved significant progress through improved early warning systems, sustainable rangeland management, and the promotion of climate-resilient agricultural practices.

The Grant Agreement was signed between Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance, and Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD. The signing took place as Alvaro Lario concluded his participation in the global Food Systems Summit in Addis Ababa.