The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is a landlocked country on the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia has about 77 million inhabitants and is three times the size of Germany. Its capital, Addis Ababa, is often called the capital city of Africa, as the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) are based here.

On the 2009 Human Development Index of the UN Development Programme, Ethiopia is listed as 171st of a total of 182 (category: low human development).

Sustainable development is a declared objective of the Ethiopian Government. Combating poverty and encouraging economic growth are high on the agenda. In spite of economic growth of 10 % since 2005, half of all Ethiopians are estimated to live under the poverty line, and the private sector is still not adequately developed. The Ethiopian Government has reacted to these challenges with an industrial development strategy based on agriculturally oriented industrialisation, drawing support from sectors such as leather, textiles and agricultural industries. The Ethiopian Government hopes this will raise exports by making local industries more competitive.

Although most of the population – about 80 % – live in rural areas, since 1990 Ethiopia’s cities have been growing at an explosive rate. This growth brings new challenges in providing services and infrastructure for citizens.

German development cooperation with Ethiopia is concentrated in three priority areas:

• Sustainable Land Management Program (SLM)
• Urban Governance and Decentralisation Program (UGDP)
• Engineering Capacity Building Program (ecbp).

Ethiopia and Germany have maintained diplomatic relationships since 1905 and are today bound by a firm friendship.

Since the end of the 1970s, GTZ has worked in Ethiopia on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). At the same time, the company is also working for other international organisations and the Ethiopian Government.  GTZ International Services (IS) is responsible for these contracts, which include the Addis Ababa Grand Housing Program run on behalf of the Addis Ababa City Administration, the University Capacity Building Program for the Ministry of Education, and, on behalf of the World Bank, the management of a fund to strengthen municipalities and regional centres with the active participation of citizens. The GTZ IS Office and portfolio in Addis Ababa are the company’s largest anywhere in the world.

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• Promoting Sustainable Development in Ethiopia
  GTZ Ethiopia 2007
  en-GTZ-Ethiopia-2007.pdf, 1,07 MB (English)