The Lake Tana Development Corridor (LTDC) in Ethiopia is a vital economic development area around Lake Tana, with agriculture and fisheries, tourism, trade and industry, and transport being the major economic activities. Among the most pressing issues are poor food security, persistent difficulties with water availability and quality and a lack of environmental sustainability and good governance in regional development. Poverty presents a significant obstacle to sustainable development. People living in poverty may lack the resources and financial means to invest in sustainable resource management practices, such as erosion control, fish management or efficient irrigation systems. This can limit their ability to improve their living conditions. To bring about significant changes in the LTDC, research and capacity building for farming and local communities in general are essential. Targeted approaches are needed to accelerate sustainable land management and economic growth in poverty-affected areas and communities and we need to create an enabling environment for women to actively participate in all levels of economic, social, and political activities.

The VLIR-OUS funded BDU-IUC phase 2 project has the ambition to establish an African centre of excellence on food and environment. The capacity of Bahir Dar University and regional stakeholder organisations will be strengthened on specific Agenda 2030 sustainable development targets in order to support the regional development towards creating future-proof healthy ecosystems and equitable resilient economy.

The project supported by a group of approximately 100 researchers both at Flemish Higher Education Institutions and Bahir Dar University (Ethiopia), and counts 16 PhD students. The project has a budget of 2.6 M EUR and will phase out in 2027.