Capacity Building / Awareness Development

Lem Ethiopia believes that changing the attitude, behavior and practices of our people in the area of natural resources management is key to reduce poverty and improve the livelihood security of our people. Because more than 85% of our populationís livelihoods depend on natural resources and the complex socio-economic problems are interlinked to natural resources utilization.

Capacity Building / Awareness DevelopmentLem Ethiopia has been involved in environmental awareness development using schools as its entry points almost in all parts of the country where high schools and teachersí training institutes existed from 1992-2000. The 8 years project activities in this area enabled us to establish more than 400 schools environmental education and protection clubs in more than the then 200 high schools and 180 primary schools and 8 teachers training institutes. The schools' environmental education and protection clubs have been active advocates of natural resources conservation and its sustainable use. From 2001 onwards the Lem Ethiopia evaluate itsí projects and revised its strategy as well as approach and developed proactive strategy that recognizes local and global situations. Since then, its geographical intervention areas have became limited and in all its interventions tried to link with livelihood security and sustainable natural resources management through population, health and environment integrated approach. Thus, the focus is changed from schools to selected grass-root communities for both awareness development and practical application of knowledge, experience and technologies, to use such sites as center of excellence in natural resources conservation and sustainable use through population, health and environment integrated development approach sites.  Major activities are the following.