[Oct 29, 2025: Arba Minch]: Following a series of consultations and joint action plans among the key partners and stakeholders of the BRIGHT Project, implementation of high-priority interventions was officially begun in Chano Chaliba and Chano Mille kebeles. These restoration measures are aimed at reducing land degradation, restoring degraded areas, and improving watershed resilience.
Community members and local leaders from both kebeles are actively engaged in deep trench construction, planting locally adaptive species through cuttings along gullies, and collecting stones and other local materials to build gully stabilization and soil conservation structures. The activities are taking place across the upland areas, which are known to be major sources of sediment and runoff that affect downstream farmlands and irrigation canals.
Land and Ecosystem Division Director at WLRC, Dr. Yilikal Anteneh, indicated that the public mobilization is facilitated by the Ketena Community Restoration Committees, with technical guidance from the Kebele and Joint Technical Teams.
On the second day, the implementation was started also in Chano Dorga and Qolla Shara Kebeles, with an even greater turnout of community members across all four kebeles. Yilikal added that building on the momentum witnessed in the first day, hundreds of local residents actively participated in various land restoration and conservation activities, including deep trench construction, planting of locally adaptive species along gullies, and collection of stones and other materials for gully stabilization structures.
The event shows the growing commitment and ownership of community members toward sustainable watershed management and environmental rehabilitation. Elders, youth, and women’s groups worked hand in hand, reflecting the collective spirit that defines the BRIGHT Project’s approach to integrated catchment restoration.
Men, women, and local leaders expressed high commitment to the cause and extended appreciation for the increasing participation, emphasizing that such coordinated community action is crucial for restoring long-term ecological balance and improved livelihoods. The mobilization will continue in the coming days, to ensure the sustained involvement of all kebeles and the successful realization of the project’s restoration goals.
The start of implementing restoration actions represents a key step in translating the BRIGHT Project’s planning and consultation efforts into visible field actions driven by local participation.