MELCA-Ethiopia

19/09/2026

Today, 19 September 2026, stakeholders gathered at Green Hotel in Tepi Town for the Stakeholder Validation Workshop for the Sheka Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan (2027–2031).

Convened by MELCA-Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI), and the SWEPRS Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Bureau, the workshop brought together stakeholders to review and validate the proposed management plan for the next five years.

The workshop opened with welcoming remarks from Dr. Eng. Asrat G/Mariam, SWEPRS Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Bureau, followed by an opening speech from Mr. Abera Seyum, representative of EBI leadership, and keynote remarks from Mr. Solomon Kebede, Executive Director of MELCA-Ethiopia. The EBI team presented the management plan, followed by stakeholder reflections, and discussions.

This validation marks an important step toward finalizing a shared framework to guide the conservation and sustainable management of the Sheka Forest Biosphere Reserve, while supporting its ongoing commitments under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.

Following the incorporation of stakeholder feedback, the management plan will be finalized and submitted to the relevant regional cabinets for consideration and approval, paving the way for its implementation.

Our sincere appreciation to SOS FAIM for supporting this important milestone, and to all partners, experts, and stakeholders who contributed their knowledge and perspectives.

Together, we are shaping a stronger future for Sheka’s forests, biodiversity, and communities.

18/09/2026

🌿 Beyond Registration: Making Ethiopia’s Biosphere Reserves Functional, Inclusive and Transformative

On 17 September 2026, MELCA-Ethiopia, in collaboration with the The Environment and Coffee Forest Forum (ECFF), convened a National Dialogue on the Functionality of Ethiopia’s Biosphere Reserves in Jimma.
The dialogue was held under the Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable and Inclusive Development (NSSID) Programme, led by Farm Africa and financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

The dialogue brought together government institutions, Biosphere Reserve representatives, research and academic institutions, civil society and development partners to reflect on the challenges and opportunities emerging since Biosphere Reserve designation, share experience and identify priorities for making Ethiopia’s Biosphere Reserves more functional, inclusive and impactful.

Mr. Solomon Kebede, Executive Director of MELCA-Ethiopia, delivered the opening remarks, while Mr. Techane Gonfa, Programme Coordinator at ECFF, delivered the keynote. The Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI) made an important institutional contribution, with Mr. Abera Seyum delivering opening remarks and presenting the Draft National Biosphere Reserve Policy.

The dialogue further featured expert perspectives from Dr. Mellese Damtie, Dr. Feleke Woldeyes, Mr. Ayenew Mekonen, Mr. Tenaw Minwuyelet, Mr. Techane Gonfa and Mr. Gadisa Kenno, covering Biosphere Reserve governance, policy and institutional priorities, biodiversity conservation, the case of Coffee arabica in Kafa and Key features & Characteristics of Lake Tana Biosphere Lake Tana and lessons from the NSSID project.
Most importantly, the dialogue moved from evidence and experience to collective reflection and recommendations, with participants worked on key priorities for governance, financing, community ownership, research and learning and sustainable livelihoods.
MELCA-Ethiopia appreciates ECFF for the strong co-organization, and EBI and all participating institutions, experts and stakeholders for contributing to this important national workshop.

📄 The proceedings and key outcomes will be shared on our page soon. Stay tuned.



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14/09/2026

MELCA-Ethiopia joined civil society organisations, movements and community representatives from across the continent in Addis Ababa to strengthen a common African voice on climate action, food systems and agriculture.

The Addis Ababa Declaration reflects shared priorities emerging from this collective process, bringing the realities, knowledge and priorities of people and communities to the centre of Africa’s climate and food future.

We encourage our network to read and engage with the Addis Ababa Declaration.

𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

𝐴 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑓𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 30 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝐶𝑂𝑃31 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑂𝑃32

After three days of the Continental Convening on Climate Action in Food Systems and Agriculture, organisations and movements from more than 30 countries, farmers, pastoralists, women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, fisherfolk and faith leaders, came together in Addis Ababa and issued a shared civil society position on the road to COP31 and COP32.

The Declaration sets out six key demands: putting adaptation, agriculture and food security at the centre of implementation, making climate finance accessible and locally accountable, funding African led agroecology and seed sovereignty, supporting a people centred just transition, making nutrition, health, gender and pastoralism visible in climate action, and building an African accountability architecture from Addis to communities.

"Africa must not wait for its food and climate future to be designed elsewhere. Our evidence must influence decisions, our solutions must be recognised, and climate finance must reach the people and places where adaptation is already happening."

The real test for and will not be the number of declarations adopted, but whether a farmer can withstand the next failed rainy season, a pastoralist can access water and grazing, and a child can grow up nourished rather than stunted by drought.

Download the full Addis Ababa Declaration here:

EN: https://afsafrica.org/blog/african-civil-society-issues-the-addis-ababa-declaration-on-climate-action-in-food-systems-and-agriculture/

FR: https://afsafrica.org/fr/blog/la-societe-civile-africaine-publie-la-declaration-daddis-abeba-sur-laction-climatique-dans-les-systemes-alimentaires-et-lagriculture/

10/09/2026

Happy Ethiopian New Year 2019!

May the New Year bring peace, good health, happiness, and prosperity to all. May it be a year of hope, unity, and new beginnings.

At MELCA Ethiopia, we remain committed to nurturing healthy ecosystems, resilient communities, and a generation of young eco-advocates while safeguarding Ethiopia’s rich bio-cultural diversity.

May 2019 be a year of meaningful action and a brighter future for people and nature.

መልካም አዲስ ዓመት!

04/09/2026

የሀዘን መግለጫ

በመልካ -ኢትዮጵያ የማያ ፕሮጀክት የቀድሞ አስተባባሪ የነበረው፣ አቶ ዘላለም ፎላ በደረሰበት ህመም ምክንያት ከዚህ ዓለም በሞት መለየቱን በከፍተኛ ሀዘን እንገልጻለን።
በድርጅታችን በነበረው የሥራ ጊዜ በትጋትና በቅንነት ያገለገለ ባልደረባችንን፣ በማጣታችን የተሰማንን ጥልቅ እና መራር ሀዘን እየገለጽን፣ ለቤተሰቡ እና ለወዳጅ ዘመዶቹ መጽናናትን እንመኛለን።

Condolence Message
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Mr. Zelalem Fola, former Coordinator of the MELCA-Ethiopia MaYEA Project, who passed away following an illness.
We deeply mourn the loss of our colleague, who served our organization with dedication and integrity during his time with MELCA-Ethiopia. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, relatives, and friends, and wish them strength and comfort during this difficult time.
May his soul rest in peace.
MELCA-Ethiopia

31/08/2026

MELCA-Ethiopia Convened Regional Agro-Ecology Stakeholder Workshop in Mizan Aman

On August 25, 2026, MELCA-Ethiopia brought together regional and zonal government offices, academic institutions, research centers, and farming communities to advance agro-ecology and sustainable food systems in Sheka Zone, South West Ethiopia Peoples' Regional State.

Key Workshop Outcomes:

Reinforced consensus on the need to transition from chemical-dependent production systems to agro-ecology-based farming that conserves nature.

Model farmers Hasen Said and Husen Bekele presented field-verified results demonstrating improved soil fertility, crop diversification, and yield stability under agro-ecological practices.

Strengthened understanding of the National Agro-Ecology Strategy and its operational implications for agricultural planning, extension services, and natural resource governance.

Identified priority actions: policy integration, institutional coordination, technical backstopping, farmer-to-farmer learning platforms, local seed conservation, and market linkage development.

Established a multi-stakeholder platform for joint knowledge generation, documentation, and scaling of context-specific agro-ecological practices.

The workshop successfully connected policy frameworks, scientific evidence, institutional mandates, and grassroots realities laying groundwork for Sheka Zone to serve as a practical learning and demonstration site for agro-ecology in South West Ethiopia Peoples' Regional State.

13/07/2026

Learning from communities, strengthening partnerships, inspiring action.

From 28 June to 2 July 2026, the APHEET Alliance successfully conducted its Joint Cross Learning Field Visit and 7th Steering Committee Meeting, bringing together consortium partners, government representatives, and project teams to reflect on progress, exchange practical experiences, and strengthen collaboration for greater impact.

The field visit to Adaba Woreda provided participants with first-hand insights into the APHEET Adaba Pillar Project, showcasing integrated Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) interventions in Ejersa and Wesha Kebeles.

Participants engaged with communities and local stakeholders to observe:

Gender-responsive school WASH facilities that support girls’ education, dignity, and retention.
Community SACCO members who transformed Basic Business Skills and Life Skills training into thriving income-generating businesses.
Maternal waiting room and WASH facility initiatives that strengthen maternal health and community wellbeing.
Peer educators driving reproductive health and family planning awareness.
Collaborative discussions with woreda sector offices on achievements, lessons learned, challenges, and opportunities for scaling integrated development approaches.

The visit concluded with a reflection session and the 7th APHEET Steering Committee Meeting in Hawassa, reaffirming the Alliance’s shared commitment to adaptive learning, stronger partnerships, and sustainable, community-led development.

Together, we continue building healthier people, resilient communities, and thriving ecosystems.

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23/06/2026

ANYWAA Biosphere Reserve was inaugurated On June 13, marking an important step toward protecting biodiversity, strengthening community stewardship, and advancing sustainable development. Beyond the ceremony, this moment reflects a shared commitment to safeguarding natural heritage for present and future generations.

MELCA-Ethiopia has played key role in the registration of three of Ethiopia's six UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: Sheka (2012), Majang (2017), and Anywaa (2025). The organization continues to support efforts aimed at strengthening institutional governance, promoting inclusive stakeholder engagement, and advancing policies and practices that contribute to the long-term sustainability of Ethiopia's biocultural landscapes.

This video captures key moments from the recognition ceremony and reflects the collective efforts, partnerships, and shared commitment that made this achievement possible.

የአኙዋሃ ባዮስፌር ሪዘርቭ በተባበሩት መንግስታት የትምህርት፣ የሳይንስና የባህል ድርጅት (UNESCO) መመዝገቡን ተከትሎ የዕውቅና ሥነ-ስርዓት፣ ሰኔ 06 ቀን 2018 ዓ.ም፣ በጋምቤላ ክልል በአኙዋሃ ብሔረሰብ ዞን አቦቦ ወረዳ፣ በአልዌሮ ግድብ ተካሄደ፡፡

መልካ-ኢትዮጵያ እስካሁን ሃገሪቱ ካስመዘገበቻቸው 6 የባዮስፌይር ሪዘርቮች ውስጥ ሦስቱን ማለትም ሸካን እ.ኤ.አ በ2012፣ መጀንግ እ.ኤ.አ በ2017 አሁን ደግሞ አኝዋን በ2025 በማስመዝገብ ሂደት ውስጥ የጎላ ሚና ተጫውቷል፡፡

ከዚህ በተጨማሪም የባዮስፌይር ሪዘርቭ ተቋማዊ መልክ ይዞ የፖሊሲ መደላድል ተፈጥሮለት በብዝሃ ዘርፍ ተዋንያን እንቅስቃሴ ተደግፎ ተግባራዊ እንዲሆን የበኩሉን አስተዋጽኦ እየደረገ ይገኛል፡፡

30/05/2026

MELCA-Ethiopia has been recognized at the Crown for Humanity Awards, receiving the Environmental Stewardship category award for its conservation work.

This honor reflects the commitment of communities, partners, and custodians of nature protecting biodiversity, traditional ecological knowledge, and Ethiopia’s bio-cultural heritage.