The Environmental Governance & Education Program


Launched in 2008, the Environmental Governance & Education (EGE) Program of the Horn of Africa Regional Environment Centre & Network (HoA-REC&N) strengthens environmental governance, policy, and education in the Horn of Africa. The program builds the capacity of governments, civil society, academia, and communities to manage natural resources sustainably and create an enabling environment for sustainable development.

Core Objectives

  • Strengthen policy and governance frameworks for sustainable resource management.
  • Produce research and policy briefs to inform decision-making.
  • Mainstream sustainability in universities and schools.
  • Facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue and coordinate governance-related projects.

Key Partnerships
The program collaborates with government organizations (GOs), NGOs, CBOs, IGOs, universities, and research institutions, bringing together practitioners and academia to address environmental challenges at both community and policy levels.

Program Components

  1. Environmental Governance – Steering & Technical Committees
    • Supports regional and sub-regional governance, focusing on the Central Rift Valley (CRV).
    • Facilitates participatory processes for land-use planning, biodiversity protection, and sustainable livelihoods.
  2. Land Use Planning & Implementation (Lake Ziway)
    • Pilot Participatory Land Use Planning Program initiated in 2008.
    • Achievements:
      • Detailed biodiversity inventories and water quality monitoring.
      • Buffer zones and walkway access along Lake Ziway.
      • Artificial wetland for water purification in partnership with Sher Flower Company.
    • Plans to expand to a basin-wide water allocation system, the first of its kind in Ethiopia.
  3. Central Rift Valley Working Group (CRV-WG)
    • Established in 2006; over 20 member organizations.
    • Focuses on sustainable fishery, livestock, tourism, and water use.
    • Currently hosted by HoA-REC&N.
  4. Universities Sustainability
    • Launched the MESE Network (Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in Ethiopian Universities).
    • Initiated the Greening Ethiopian Public Universities (GEPU) program with Hawassa University.
    • Supports integration of sustainability in teaching, research, leadership, and community engagement.
    • Linked to the African Environmental Education Action Plan under UNEP.
  5. School Sustainability
    • Implements the School Environment Education and Sustainability Project in the CRV.
    • Activities include:
      • Rainwater harvesting structures in schools.
      • Establishing and strengthening nature clubs.
      • Raising youth awareness on climate change and resource stewardship.
  6. Civil Society & Post-2015 Engagement
    • Builds civil society capacity for climate change negotiations.
    • Supported Ethiopian CSOs’ participation in Rio+20 and post-2015 SDG dialogues.
    • Instrumental in forming the Ethiopian Civil Society Coalition on Rio+20 and Beyond.

Ongoing Flagship Projects under this program:

CABES (Capacity Development for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Experts) Project

—

The Migration, Environment, Climate Change and Environmental Action (MECMEA) project

—

Impact
The EGE Program plays a pivotal role in shaping environmental governance in Ethiopia and the wider Horn of Africa by linking policy, research, education, and practice. Its work in the Central Rift Valley is a model for balancing economic development with ecosystem conservation, while its university and school initiatives ensure long-term sustainability through education.

News and Events Post under this program:

https://hoarec.org/category/projects/the-environmental-governance-and-education-partnership-programme