IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development - ICPALD

During the ongoing annual Drylands Transform project review and planning meeting, Dr. Dereje Wakjira, ICPALD Director, in his presentation noted that IGAD is committed to contributing to ongoing efforts aimed at positively transforming the sector.

IGAD region is currently the largest livestock exporter to MENA countries in the midst of challenges presented by towards this sector. With relevant investment in the dryland ecosystem e.g. water, it is possible to generate wealth and sustain livelihoods.

Drylands Transform project has a multidisciplinary team of researchers and regional partners implementing activities in Kenya (West Pokot & Turkana Counties) and Uganda (Moroto & Napak Districts) to generate results that inform policies.

📸ICPALD kicked of training of 20 Government Field Extension Officers on Standard Methods & Procedures on Animal Health (SMP-AH) and Risk-Based Animal Disease Surveillance in Jijiga, Ethiopia today.

These methods & procedures aim to improve standards in inspection through certification, thereby enhancing disease control, and improving the health & welfare of exported animals.

The approach allows countries in the region to access livestock markets despite the difficulty of achieving country or zonal disease-free status.

*The activity is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

📢Regional Policy Dialogue facilitated by ICPALD.

IGAD Member States through State Department of Livestock Principal Secretaries, Undersecretaries and their delegates endorsed the recommendations supporting the livestock sector transformation via enhancing animal disease control, feed security and marketable supply.

They also affirmed the need for stakeholder coordination at national and regional levels for the purpose of synergy and complementing efforts.

This activity has been supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and FAO.

Policy Dialogue facilitated by ICPALD.

The government, private sectors & partners in the IGAD region agreed to reinforce the program on animal disease control, feed security & marketable supply, in addition to having coordination mechanisms at national & regional levels.

This is aimed at advancing the livestock transformation agenda & meeting the growing demand of livestock products.

*Activity is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and FAO.

📢Regional Policy Dialogue facilitated by ICPALD.

The purpose of the event is to review the status of animal disease control, feed security & trade, for enhanced investment & policy change in order to:
1⃣advance the transformation of livestock
2⃣meet the growing demand of livestock products

This activity is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and FAO.

ICPALD facilitates cross border meeting on consultation and mapping of animal health diagnostic laboratories along Ethiopia-Kenya & Somalia borders.

The cross border officers documented the status of:
▶️the existing diagnostic lab facilities,
▶️the capacity needs,
and agreed on areas of collaboration along the borders, to enhance TADs control & livestock trade.

This activity is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) under the Regional Livestock Program (RLP).

ICPALD facilitates cross border meeting on consultation and mapping of animal health diagnostic laboratories along Ethiopia-Kenya & Somalia borders.

The purpose is to assess the laboratories status and facilitate shared access of the facilities to enhance TADs control & livestock trade.

This activity is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) under the Regional Livestock Program (RLP).

The diversity of species & breeds ensures the resilience of against shocks that may threaten their livelihoods.

Camels for instance, play a vital role in providing milk, meat, medicines, wealth, & other products.

Their ability to thrive in harsh conditions & easily acclimate when agroecological zones shift has led previous cattle herder communities to increasingly adopting keeping.

What is needed to improve camel husbandry in the IGAD region?

Find out more in our latest policy brief👉🏾http://icpald.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Camel-Husbandry.pdf

In the spirit of the AU REC-to-REC knowledge cross-fertilization, a team of IGAD officials from Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda visited the border region of Tchologo in Cote D’Ivore.

Welcomed by the Regional Prefect at Ferkessedougou, the team visited loading infrastructure, livestock feed stores, and the corridors between Cote D’Ivore & Mali. The transhumance corridors are an implementation of the ECOWAS protocol regulating transhumance.

*Mission supported by funds from the government of Sweden, through the Sustainable Ecosystem Management (SEM) project.

Members of Parliament from Turkana County paid a courtesy visit to the ICPALD office, and discussed cross border issues affecting their community, especially security in mobility within the Ateker communities of Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia.

ICPALD committed to deepen involvement of policy makers in widening community dialogue on cross border security.

South Sudan’s Radio Miraya hosted ICPALD & the 🇸🇸 IGAD Head of Mission on a talk show, to discuss outreach efforts for the ongoing call for innovations under the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Development for Fragility Reduction (EIFR) Project➡️ https://icpald.org/afdb-entrepreneurship/

EIFR project aims to enhance climate adaptation in agriculture & livestock sectors, stimulate employment opportunities for youth by supporting /promoting establishment of start-ups led by young entrepreneurs, & ultimately reduce fragility.

Access more information about the call at https://icpald.org/opportunities/vacancies/

Results for Impact (R4I) ensures research translates into practical, impactful solutions that can improve adaptive capabilities.

Participants at the annual PASSAGE meeting hold in-depth discussions on moving from research to reach identified users, decision makers and stakeholders.

Highlights:
▶️Co-producing by integrating indigenous and scientific knowledge.
▶️Packaging information based on user's, decision maker's & stakeholder's needs.
▶️Information dissemination through both formal (radio/TV/newspaper) and informal (community champions, opinion leaders, extension workers) channels.
▶️Obtaining feedback from users, decision makers & stakeholders.

*Funded by International Development Research Centre (IDRC) /Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

More info on PASSAGE➡️https://icpald.org/passage1/

Annual PASSAGE project meeting kicks off today, hosted by
ICPALD, bringing together scientists, knowledge brokers, practitioners & academia.

The meeting aims to review implementation & development of PASSAGE project by aligning stakeholder efforts, assessing progress, & planning future actions to enhance of pastoral communities through inclusive & anticipatory actions.

On behalf of Dr. Dereje Wakjira-ICPALD Director, in his opening remarks, Dr. Osman Babikir-ICPALD Head of Social Economics, Policy & Research highlighted the:
1⃣project's unique collaborative approach in creating practical solutions
2⃣connection between research & practice
3⃣use of evidence in policy formation

*Funded by International Development Research Centre (IDRC) /Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

More info on PASSAGE➡️https://icpald.org/passage1/

📸Mapping of water & shared resources along the migratory corridors in the cross-border areas of Tog Wajaale and Galkayo.

This exercise aims to identify priority cross-border rangelands resources for participatory management, guide water resource rehabilitation & upgrade, and inform future trade corridor infrastructure investment.

*Funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) under the Regional Livestock Program (RLP)

Botswana Mission:

The mission objective is to learn lessons that can help access alternative markets, diversify & strengthen business linkages between IGAD exporting countries & Botswana by:

1⃣Facilitating interaction of selected regulatory bodies and private sectors from IGAD countries with Botswana counterparts.
2⃣Collecting data & lessons that can enable IGAD exporting countries to adjust operations and expand their businesses.
3⃣Establishing contacts & coordination mechanism for continued collaboration on emerging trends in beef trade.

📸Visit to the Botswana Meat Commission

This mission is supported by

Botswana Mission:
IGAD learning mission to Botswana, on beef value chain, with delegates from Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda.

📸Today's opening by the Acting PS, Ministry of Agriculture, and other high level government dignitaries in Gaborone.

This mission is supported by USAID

Today we received Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD Executive Secretary, on his official visit to the IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas & Livestock Development, during which we discussed the institution's progress and strategies for improved institutional performance and regional impact.

ICPALD facilitates the establishment of multi-sectoral coordination stakeholder’s forum for the Mandera cluster.

KEY DISCUSSION: Stakeholders of the Mandera cluster countries highlighted key zoonotic diseases, and identified the coordination, policy, capacity and funding gaps, alongside proposed solutions for follow up action.