Climate Change Mitigation in Agriculture and Forestry Sectors in Ethiopia: A Review

Abstract

The climate of the planet earth is changing mainly as a result of the increasing concentration of anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Climate change causes undesired effects including global warming, sea level rise, occurrence of frequency of extreme events such as droughts and floods, and so on to coupled human-environment systems. This review paper emphasizes on climate change mitigation in agriculture and forestry sectors, which are the two biggest emitters (sources) as well as sinks of greenhouse gases. Ethiopia’s contribution to global emission is insignificant. By 2010, Ethiopia’s overall emissions were estimated to 150 MtCO 2 e which is projected to be more than double, 400 MtCO 2 e by 2030 under a business-as-usual scenario. Ethiopia intended to limit greenhouse gas emissions to 145 MtCO 2 e by 2030. Agriculture and forestry sectors are the two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases while methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide are the major greenhouse gases emitted in the country. The country has designed and implementing several climate friendly policies, programs and strategies including Climate Resilient Green Economy, Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions, Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and Intended Nationally Determined Contribution in order to follow green development paths and hence contribute to the global climate protection. Keywords: Greenhouse gas, Climate change, Mitigation, Source, Sink.