Addis Ababa - September 25, 2017 - Ethiopia has launched a fifteen-year National Adaptation Plan (NAP-ETH) that will cost about USD 6 billion annually to address climate change.

NAP-ETH plans to bring about transformational change in the country's capacity to address the adverse consequence of climate change, according to Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

The National Adaptation Plan released today focuses on agriculture, forestry, health, transport, power, industry, water, and urban sectors that are identified as most vulnerable.

Within these sectors, 18 adaptation options have been identified for implementation at all level and across different development sectors, recognizing the considerable diversity in context and vulnerability across Ethiopia's regions and social groups, it was learned.

Speaking during the launching ceremony, MoEFCC State Minister Kare Chawicha said the country has been implementing the Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) on mitigation since 2010, but the adaptation component was not completed.

Therefore, it is high time to have a comprehensive and long-term adaptation plan for the country, he added.

MoEFCC Climate Change Advisor, Asrat Yirgu said the NAP-ETH was developed in accordance with the Cancun Adaptation Framework of 2010, which aims to enhance national and international action on adaptation.

He stated that Ethiopia's NAP initiative is part of its grand action of mainstreaming climate change mitigation and adaptation into its national development plans, in particular into its Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP).

The annual USD 6 billion fund for the plan is expected to be raised from a combination of financing sources, including public and private, as well as domestic and international sources.