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FOREST DEGRADATION IN ETHIOPIA: EXTENT AND CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Temesgen Gashaw*,Fikirte Asrat and Damena Edae

Center for Environmental Science, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

 Corresponding Author's E-mail: gtemesgen114@gmail.com

Accepted 15 May, 2015

Ethiopia is a mountainous country with a great topographic range from 110m below sea level at Dalol Depression to 4620m above sea level at Mount Ras Dejen. Because of its topographic variation and location in the tropics, Ethiopia has diverse climate conditions and the resulting diverse ecosystems. As a result, the country is well endowed in natural resources. However, resource degradation has gone for centuries. Forests which were 40% of the country’s landmass in the beginning of 20^th century were reduced into 2.36% in 2000. The causes were agricultural expansion; the increasing demand  for construction material, industrial use, fuel wood and charcoal; lack of a forest protection and conservation policy; absence of a strong forest administration system capable of arresting the rapidly increasing rate of deforestation;  lack  of  effort  to  ensure  the  participation  of  communities  in  forest  protection  and conservation and the sharing of benefits, and failure to clearly demarcate and enforce the boundaries of natural forest reserves. Currently, the remaining forests were found in South Western Ethiopia in three regions (Oromiya, Southern and Gambela regions). In northern highlands, one couldn’t find forests except old-aged Afromontane forests around the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido churches and in some inaccessible areas. However, other areas have been completely destroyed and converted to farms and grazing lands. At present there are efforts that the government and local communities are employing. Establishment of protected and forest priority areas, as well as protecting the sacred forest sites are attempts taken to protect forests in the country. Rehabilitation of forests through afforestation, reforestation and area enclosures with participatory forest management practices are another conservation efforts that the government is implementing. Thus, this review aims to demonstrate the extent of forest degradation and indicate conservation measures being taken in response to degradation.

Keywords: Forest, Degradation, Protection, Rehabilitation, Ethiopia

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May 2015 Vol. 2(2)

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Palgo Journal of Agriculture

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