Integrated land use and development planning has been pending in most countries of Eastern and Southern Africa. Ethiopia is no different. Though integrated land use planning has been pending until the recent past, Ethiopia has now embarked on getting this important assignment done. The roadmap towards integrated land use and development planning for the entire country was produced and approved in early February 2017. Integrated land use and development planning exercise was started back in 2013 For Gambella Peoples National Regional State (GPNRS). Many technical and administrative professionals have contributed to its fruition. Members of the Steering committee were established to guide and approve the process and the outcome both at federal and regional levels. Without their committed engagements; we could not have bypassed the land use policy gaps. Likewise, the members of the federal and the regional technical committees played important roles in substantiating the top-down technical flow and understanding of the tri-partite participatory and integrated land use Planning process. Their roles in making the plan through the dramatized engagements of the top-down Policy and administration elites, the driving roles of the land users from the bottom-up, and the technical guidance of subject-specific professionals from “side-in” were rewarding. I thank all for making it a success.
The HoAREC&N-AAU had a strategic position in providing and facilitating the scientific-based planning environment and processes through recruiting and engaging higher professionals of different spectrum of study subjects. The counter experts from almost all ministries in the country and the regional bureaus and offices had a critical role in synchronizing local level knowledge and experiences in to the planning process. The GPNRS authorities, the local communities, the private sector and all sector bureaus and offices were corner stones for the successful completion of the planning. Now, it is possible to ascertain that the land use planning capacity at the National and Regional level has improved significantly. With the higher commitment of Dr. Araya Asfaw, Executive Director, HoAREC&N-AAU, from the inception up to production of the preliminary ILDP, and with the overall technical guidance of Dr Azene Bekele, and dedicated coordinators Dr. Almaz Taddess, Ato Wondwossen Girmay, both the rural and urban land use plans were completed for the GPNRS. Three Urban land use plans were additionally made based on their important and strategic economic, social, and political significance to the region and the National at large. Special thanks go to the members of the National and Regional Steering and Technical Committees. All deserve my special thanks I do not have words to express them enough. My sincere appreciation goes to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) for their remarkable financial support which has brought our vision into reality.

Tigistu Gebremeskel A.
Director, Rural Land Administration and Use Directorate
Ministry of Agriculture