<\/p>\n
The grant will support the Climate Proof Water4Food Project, an integrated water and agriculture initiative targeting Ethiopia\u2019s Gambella region and South Sudan\u2019s Unity State.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The two areas are highly exposed to extreme climate events, including floods, which continue to worsen food insecurity, damage livelihoods and contribute to population displacement.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The ADF, the concessional lending arm of the African Development Bank (AfDB), approved the funding on July 15.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The project will construct or rehabilitate seven solar-powered water supply systems and introduce integrated flood-management measures. These interventions are expected to provide reliable access to safe drinking water for nearly 80 000 people.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The initiative will also provide climate-smart agriculture training to more than 100 000 farmers, helping communities improve food production while adapting to increasingly unpredictable weather conditions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Approximately 19 300 young people will receive training in agricultural skills, entrepreneurship and climate-resilient value chains.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
AfDB East Africa Regional Manager for Water Security and Sanitation Mecuria Assefaw said the project recognises the cross-border nature of climate risks. \u201cClimate change does not recognise borders, and neither should our solutions,\u201d Assefaw said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Assefaw said the initiative brings together water security, climate-resilient agriculture and stronger local institutions to help communities build resilience. \u201cBy investing in sustainable systems today, we are creating opportunities for healthier families, more productive farms and stronger local economies for years to come,\u201d Assefaw said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Communities will also benefit from new sanitation facilities in schools and public institutions, improved hygiene services and women-led local water management committees.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Farmers, most of them women, will receive improved seeds, agricultural extension support, demonstration farms and climate-resilient technologies aimed at raising productivity while protecting natural resources.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The project will further support large-scale tree planting, watershed rehabilitation and the restoration of degraded land.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Improved access to safe water is expected to reduce waterborne diseases, improve hygiene and increase school attendance, particularly among girls.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Higher agricultural production is expected to strengthen household food security, improve nutrition for women and children and create new income opportunities for farming families.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The multinational project will also promote shared technical standards, cross-border learning and coordinated climate-risk management between Ethiopia and South Sudan.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–AfDB\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":40349,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[44],"class_list":["post-40347","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"The African Development Fund (ADF) has approved $9.3 million to strengthen water security, climate resilience and food production in vulnerable communities in Ethiopia and South Sudan.","published_date":"","news_description":"The African Development Fund (ADF) has approved $9.3 million to strengthen water security, climate resilience and food production in vulnerable communities in Ethiopia and South Sudan.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/40347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/40347\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40350,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/40347\/revisions\/40350"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=40347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}