Ethiopia

ETHIOPIA IS LOCATED in eastern Africa, along the continent's Great Rift Valley. Some of the earliest humans emerged from this part of Africa millions of years ago. Ethiopia is expected to be one of the countries hardest hit by climate change, putting much of its 76.5 million residents at risk. In fact, some climate researchers now believe Ethiopia was one of the first victims of climate change, more than 20 years ago. Global dimming, a problem just now being studied by climatologists, is a reduction in the warmth of the Sun, as particulate matter in the atmosphere blocks the Sun's rays from reaching the Earth's surface. That solar heat is vital to the development of monsoons in that part of Africa. A dimming event in the 1980s was probably behind the catastrophic droughts of 1984–85, which led to a famine killing more than a million Ethiopians.

More frequent droughts in recent years have strained the Ethiopian economy, more than 80 percent of which is based on agriculture. In 2007, world health officials estimated that at least 1.5 million Ethiopians were at risk of starvation in the aftermath of a particularly dry year. Deforestation, soil erosion, overgrazing, and desertification have also put pressure on the ecosystem at large, with the loss of several native plant species, and some native bird species on the brink of failure. Climate change is hurting the lifestyle of 20 million nomads who live across the Horn of Africa. In recent years, intertribal fights over dwindling water resources and vanishing grasslands have been on the increase. In 2006, several tribal leaders gathered in Ethiopia for peace talks, but conflict is likely to continue, as resources grow scarcer.

Total carbon emissions in 1998 were 1,990,000 metric tons, a 33 percent decrease from 1990 levels, and well below the regional averages. An estimated 79 percent of emissions come from liquid fuels, and 21 percent from cement manufacture. The Ethiopian government is signatory to a number of international treaties, including biodiversity pacts, desertification reduction, and protection of endangered species and the ozone layer. It has also signed on to the Kyoto Protocol. The government has shown commitment to educating the public and supporting the development of sustainable practices and green technologies.