Ethiopia
Livestock on the way to market near Mekele, Tigray, Ethiopia.
At a Glance
Over the past 10 years, Ethiopia has seen 10 percent annual gross domestic product growth. At the same time, its greenhouse gas emissions have increased over the period—growing 11 percent alone between 2008 and 2009. More than 85 percent of emissions are due to agriculture and deforestation, while the power, transport, industrial and building sectors contribute 3 percent each. Globally, Ethiopia accounts for less than 0.1 percent of emissions, yet it is already experiencing the adverse effects of climate change. Communities are suffering from greater variability and extreme weather events, increased temperature and declining rainfall in a country where 85 percent of farmers are dependent on rain-fed agriculture.
In response, USAID supports Ethiopia’s economy-wide Climate Resilient Green Economy strategy, which provides a blueprint to achieve middle-income status by 2030 without increasing greenhouse gas emissions relative to 2010 levels. In support of the strategy implementation, USAID is providing assistance at the policy level through the Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development initiative and at the program level within the agriculture sector by improving information sharing, government and community adaptation efforts, and analytic tools for early warning and disaster risk preparedness. USAID also supports the development of Ethiopia’s vast renewable energy potential under the Power Africa initiative, with a focus on geothermal energy.
Climate Projections and Impacts
Refer to the Climate Risk Profile (2023) for more information.
Additional Information: Ethiopia Climate Change Country Profile & Fact Sheet on USAID.gov
Climate Projections
Increased Frequency/Intensity of Extreme Weather Events
Changes to Season Duration/ Seasonal Precipitation
Increased Temperature
Key Climate Impact Areas
Agriculture
Livestock
Human Health
Water
Funding & Country Climate Context
USAID Climate Change Funding (2023)
Total
$2 million
GAIN Vulnerability
Medium
Population (2023)
116.5 Million
GHG Emissions Growth
3.28%
% Forested Area
12.5%
Average GHG Emissions Growth due to Deforestation
48.58%
Refer to metadata and sources for more details.