Africa Center of Excellence for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation
(ACE Climate SABC) Conducted Training of Trainers (TOT) on
Integrated Waste Management and Eco-friendly Landscaping
A five-day training of trainers was conducted at the Resource Center located on the main campus of Haramaya University. Professor Mengistu Urge, Delegate Vice-President for Academic Affairs, welcomed the participants and officially opened the training on the morning of December 17, 2019.
The training was conducted with the objective of imparting knowledge, creating a favorable attitude and developing skills of potential future trainers in effective, efficient and integrated waste management and eco-friendly landscaping. The training was conducted with the intent of making contributions towards on-going efforts in the University and the country at large to realize green, healthy and climate-smart environments, which would be ecologically and socially sustainable.
Dr. Lemma Wogi, Mr. Arbo Feyisa Bobassa, and Mr. Tamrat Kassa, from the School of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, had developed course modules and successfully delivered the ToT on Environmental and Social Safeguard: Integrated Waste Management and Eco-friendly Landscaping from 17-21 December 2019.
The participants were from different colleges of the University (Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya Institute of Technology, Law, and Natural and Computational Sciences), Laboratory Management Directorate, Student Service Directorate, Campus Beautification Unit, and representatives of students’ Environmental Club. In addition, municipalities (Awaday, Haramaya and Bate) and a private organization (Hamaressa Edible Oil Factory) attended the training. In total, 30 participants had successfully completed the training and were awarded certificates for their participation.
The training involved lectures, group discussions, field visits and observations, and finally general discussion was made on the way forward. On the last session, the resource persons made a presentation on the contents covered and issues raised during the training for further deliberations. The general discussion was co-chaired by Professor Kebede Woldetsadik, Vice President for Enterprise Development and Community Engagement and Professor Mengistu Urge, Delegate Vice-President for Academic Affairs of the University. The Office of the Vice-President for Research Affairs was represented by Dr. Chanyalew Seyoum, Director for Research, Extension and Publication.
The officials handed over the certificates, and the training was officially closed with a short remarks by Professor Kebede on the way forward and next step. Accordingly, a platform for a high level discussion would be organized by the higher offices, Senate Standing Committee for Environmental Affairs and ACE Climate SABC with the leadership of the Office of Vice President for Academic Affairs. The event would focus on presentations by experts and discussion of stakeholders on challenges facing Haramaya University and the surrounding communities and municipalities (Bate, Haramaya, Awady, and Harar). The expected output would be agreement on the need for formulating strategy and mobilizing resources to implement effective and financially sustainable integrated waste management and eco-friendly landscaping within and beyond the campus in the medium- and long-term.