By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Ethiopia, August 20, 2026 - Ethiopia's efforts to expand and protect its forests could have consequences far beyond its borders, with Norway's Climate Counsellor and Special Envoy for Climate and Forests saying conservation in the country's highlands is critical to water access and food security across the Horn of Africa.
Live Jacob Sydness said Ethiopia had made massive progress in forestry over the past five years, describing the reported increase in forest cover as particularly impressive.
“I’m very impressed by the results achieved, particularly in your forestry efforts,” Sydness said.
She said Norway's decade-long cooperation with Ethiopia had contributed to efforts to expand forest cover and reduce deforestation, while stressing that the importance of forests extends beyond the trees themselves.
According to Sydness, forests play a critical role in protecting water systems, reducing soil erosion, improving water absorption and regulating river flows.
This makes forest conservation in Ethiopia's highlands a regional issue, she said, with the benefits extending to countries including Somalia, northern Kenya and Djibouti.
“Your efforts in forestry in the highlands of Ethiopia are important for water access and food security not only for Ethiopia, but also for the region as a whole.”
Much of the Horn of Africa is highly vulnerable to drought, land degradation and increasingly erratic rainfall. Ethiopia's highlands form an important part of the region's wider water systems, meaning changes in land cover can influence erosion, water retention and the movement of water through river systems.
The connection is particularly important as climate change puts additional pressure on agriculture and water resources.
Sydness said climate change was already having a serious effect on both agriculture and water availability, making forest restoration and protection increasingly important.
Recent research from Ethiopia also points to the potential benefits of restoration. A 2026 study examining assisted natural regeneration and afforestation in Kembata Tembaro found substantial increases in forest cover at sampled restoration sites between 2015 and 2024, alongside reductions in estimated soil loss.
The findings provide some evidence of how restoring degraded landscapes can contribute to broader environmental resilience, although researchers caution that the impact of individual restoration approaches still requires further assessment.
Norway has been a major partner in Ethiopia's efforts to reduce deforestation through the REDD+ framework, which links forest conservation with climate action and results-based financing.
The partnership is now entering another phase. In January 2026, Ethiopia's Ministry of Finance said the next phase of its REDD+ Investment Programme would run from 2026 to 2030, with a blended financing model involving Norwegian support of US$60 million, US$40 million from Ethiopia's Green Legacy Initiative Special Fund and additional resources carried forward.
The programme is expected to focus on participatory forest management, land restoration, stronger institutional coordination and results-oriented climate finance.
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The approach is significant because it seeks to make communities part of the conservation effort rather than treating forest protection solely as a government responsibility.
For Ethiopia, the stakes are particularly high because environmental degradation directly affects rural livelihoods.
Healthy forests can help protect soils, improve water retention and support agricultural systems, while restoration can also strengthen communities' ability to withstand climate shocks.
The relationship between forests and food security is becoming increasingly important across the Horn, where drought and rainfall variability continue to threaten agricultural and pastoral livelihoods.
The region has recently experienced significant climate and food-security pressures. In Somalia, for example, prolonged rainfall deficits have contributed to deteriorating vegetation and water conditions, while parts of southeastern Ethiopia have also experienced poor rainfall and elevated temperatures.
This places greater importance on maintaining landscapes capable of retaining water and resisting degradation.
Sydness reaffirmed Norway's continued support for Ethiopia's Climate-Resilient Green Economy Strategy, launched in 2011, and said the two countries would continue working together on climate adaptation, forest restoration and sustainable development.
For Ethiopia, the message from its Norwegian partner is therefore that forest conservation should not be viewed simply as an environmental programme.
The country's forests are part of a much larger regional system linking land, water, agriculture and livelihoods across the Horn of Africa.
As climate pressures increase, protecting those forests could become increasingly important not only for Ethiopia's farmers and communities, but also for populations downstream and across its borders.
Ethiopia's forest restoration efforts are therefore emerging as a regional climate and food-security issue, one whose effects could be felt from the country's highlands to Somalia, northern Kenya and Djibouti.