NAIROBI, July 30 -- The European Union and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Tuesday signed a four-year 50.8-million-U.S.-dollar program to boost the resilience of pastoralists in Eastern Africa.

The initiative, Pastoralism and Livestock Adaptation to Climate Change in Eastern Africa Program (PLACE), is expected to directly benefit more than 100,000 households across Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

"The program's initiatives will aim to improve living conditions, ensure fairness and inclusivity, and amplify the voices and participation of pastoralists, with particular attention to gender and youth inclusion," FAO said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

The program seeks to address the challenges in developing sustainable, climate-resilient pastoral systems across the environmental, economic and social dimensions of pastoralism in the face of a rapidly changing climate.

Livestock is a lifeline for more than 250 million people in the region and is deeply embedded in the communities' social, cultural, and spiritual fabric, according to FAO.

FAO said PLACE's holistic approach aims to foster an environment that promotes comprehensive and innovative solutions to enhance resilience, improve food security, and establish sustainable livelihoods.

The program will be implemented across four cross-border cluster areas -- the Bahr el-Arab, Karamoja, Mandera, and Mara-Serengeti Clusters -- spanning Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

"Efforts will focus on several key areas, including strengthening land tenure systems, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preserving biodiversity and natural resources, building strong local economies within the livestock sector, fostering sustainable economic growth, reducing resource-based conflicts and creating jobs," FAO said.

It said severe and frequent droughts have devastated rangelands, resulting in the loss of over 13 million livestock between late 2020 and early 2024.

The UN food agency said PLACE focuses on environmental sustainability, economic development, and social inclusion.

  - Xinhua