Gebrezgabher, Solomie; Woldearegay, K.; Ghosh, Surajit; Mendum, R.; Ruckstuhl, Sandra. 2024. From survival to building resilience: urban and peri-urban agriculture as a pathway for post-war recovery and resilience in Tigray, Ethiopia. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration. 13p.
Context
The armed conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia from 2020 to 2022 had devastating impacts on the lives, health, and livelihoods of the people of Tigray. Before the war, the region already struggled with agricultural productivity and sustainability challenges due to land degradation, low productivity, and climate variability. During the armed conflict, there was a complete blockade and disruptions of essential services such as electricity, communications, transportation, banking, and the supply of goods. Moreover, there was an absence of a properly functioning government for two years during the war. These compounded challenges resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, causing severe disruptions in rural-urban food supply chains. The influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) into urban areas has strained urban infrastructure, particularly in major urban centers like Mekelle City, the regional capital, where a large number of IDPs were hosted during the war. According to UNHCR, across Tigray, the war has forced about 2.5 million people to flee their homes.
In response to the crisis, communities in Tigray have turned to urban and peri-urban agriculture, growing high-value vegetable crops to support alternative livelihoods during the war (2020 -- 2022) and postwar (2023 onwards). However, limited water and land resources, especially under extreme dry conditions, hinder these efforts. For example, Mekelle, located in the arid region of Tigray, faces a low water supply. Despite these challenges, there is an opportunity to implement and scale context-specific nature-based circular water and food solutions to address acute food insecurity and understand the institutional context supporting urban agriculture for further upscaling.
Through in-depth case study and mapping of urban agriculture practices in Mekelle City and its surroundings, as well as two other major IDP-hosting towns -- Adigrat and Shire (Figure 1) -- this study investigates the role of urban and peri-urban agriculture in improving food security, fostering livelihoods, environmental restoration, and building community resilience to future crises. Furthermore, the study examines the impact of the war on water resources -- namely, infrastructure, usage, and management.
This study also explores how urban and peri-urban agriculture strategies can be systematically integrated into urban planning to provide survival options for people, address food insecurity, foster economic recovery, and contribute to socio-economic development during the post-war restoration and reconstruction period. It is based on a review of relevant policy documents, stakeholder consultation workshops, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions, supported by field-based observations. Additionally, Earth Observation (EO) datasets and Google Earth Engine (GEE) were utilized to perform spatial analysis of urban agriculture in Mekelle. This spatial analysis provided insights into urban landscape dynamics, current urban agriculture practice locations, and helped identify suitable areas for the expansion of urban agriculture.
By highlighting the socio-economic and environmental benefits of urban agriculture, the study aims to promote resilience and economic recovery, addressing immediate food needs while also supporting long-term development in both war and post-war restoration phases. The findings from this study can benefit stakeholders in urban and per-urban agriculture, including the Tigray Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development, Tigray Bureau of Water and Energy, municipalities, urban agriculture desks, NGOs active in food security initiatives such as Wukro Saint Mary Institution and Relief Society of Tigray, and local communities. Additionally, the study offers valuable insights for policymakers and urban planners to integrate urban agriculture into city planning, promoting sustainable water and food practices.