Following a regional study on sustainable livestock development in the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA) that was commissioned by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in October 2008, a two-day validation workshop will begin tomorrow, Wednesday 14th September 2011 at the Djibouti Kempinski Palace.
The regional workshop to be opened by the Djiboutian Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock and Maritime Resources, Hon. Mohamed Awaleh Abdirahman Beileh, Acting Director, Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department, of the African Development Bank will seek to obtain feedback from the Intergovernmental authority on Development (IGAD) countries and ensure their buy-in and validation of the study report. It is also expected that Member States will come with some prioritization of possible interventions they are willing to support and implement.
The IGAD Executive Secretary, Eng. Mahboub Maalim and the AfDB Director will speak at the official opening of the workshop that has attracted participants from the IGAD Member States including Chief Veterinary Officers and Animal Production Officers as well as regional organizations and international organisations. Other development partners such as the European Union and the World Bank have also been invited to participate in the workshop.
The study that is the basis of the regional workshop sought to document the current livestock situation in the Greater Horn of Africa and propose short, medium and long-term development measures as a basis for the Bank's intervention in this area. The study identifies possible interventions in policies, water, pastoral livelihoods, fisheries and cross-cutting issues such as gender and the environment.
The study observes that there exists a large funding gap for the sector in the IGAD region and proposes several options for bridging the gap. The workshop is therefore expected to come up with a validated report with suggestions on the way forward (including regional and national project profiles leading to actual investments in rural livelihoods.
