This pivotal event deepened the national dialogue on governing SDG interactions by building directly on the initial 2024 workshop. The forum was attended by important national and international stakeholders working on land and forest restoration processes including a diverse group of government officials, development partners, researchers, and local experts. They critically interacted with the research findings presented by Aytenew Tatek, Dereje Yimam and Dr Desalegn Amlaku. The meeting was opened by Dr Gete Zeleke, Director General of the Water and Land Resource Centre (WLRC). Keynote speeches were given by Jelmer van Veen, First Secretary at the Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa, Dr. Alemayehu Wassie, Executive Director of ORDA Ethiopia and Dr. Zerfu Hailu, Senior Land Administration/Policy Expert from the Ministry of Agriculture. During the workshop – guided by the Broker – we also tested an Aligning Minds Stakeholder Guide, guidelines for “meaningful stakeholder engagement” specific for enhancing “research impact on policy interventions.”
A highly impactful component was the facilitated scenario-planning exercise, which moved the discussion from analysis to forward-looking strategy. Participants identified governance arrangements, land tenure security, funding, and peace & security as the four most critical and uncertain forces shaping the future of restoration. By developing plausible future scenarios based on these axes, stakeholders proactively explored challenges and opportunities, leading to more resilient strategic thinking.
The workshop took place on 13 May 2025 and successfully validated the project’s emerging research insights and translated them into a shared, actionable understanding among key actors. It concluded with a reinforced consensus on the necessity of multi-stakeholder collaboration and adaptive governance to unlock SDG synergies in Ethiopia’s complex restoration landscape.
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