Wildlife Conservation Experts Stress Need for Awareness Creation and Commitment in Communities

Addis  Ababa  April  24/ 2019 Lack of commitment and public awareness are putting the parks in Ethiopia at risk,   according to experts.

.Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, Protected Areas Development and Protection  Director, Girma Timer told ENA that population growth, overgrazing of pastures, sporadic settlements coupled with expansion of farm land are among the problems affecting sustained development of parks.

Lack of commitment to keep the standard of parks has also been a bottleneck albeit there are strategies and finance to implement projects in the parks.

According to Girma, the authority is working in collaboration with partner agencies and community members to ensure the participation of communities by raising their awareness on the importance of protecting the parks.

“Currently, we are working to enable the parks to own management plan from 3 to 10 years,” he added.

Development partners such as Africa Wildlife Conservation, Frankfurt Zoological Society are engaged in conservation works in line with the management plan in various protected areas.

The director stated that integration of works at federal and regional levels is crucial for  successful outputs.

There are about 16 national parks in the country with about 72 protected areas  which cover about 8.5 percent of the country.

 “What we need now is commitment, especially in Bale and Semien Mountain Park; and in most of our parks commitment will solve the existing problems and protect the biodiversity of the parks,” Girma stressed.

Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute Pet Animals Directorate Case Team Coordinator, Abebe Hailu said forest fire has been the major problem observed in national parks and protected  forests.

Forest fires have inflicted heavy losses on the ecology inside and outside the parks. Some of the areas may recover rather quickly, if we can apply modern ways of park protection and conservation, he explained.  

Forming viable forest enclosures is among the major methods that need to be applied to areas damaged by fire to boost the regeneration of rare species, according to the team coordinator.

Abebe noted that “creating awareness among community members is crucial as the communities are the beneficiaries when the parks are protected well and victims when they are damaged.”

He pointed out the institute takes many samples from animals such as the Red Fox to its  laboratory for use such as rehabilitation.

"Yet," he added that " experts need to develop capacity, integration and protection methods to keep the animals and vegetation in their natural habitat."

Forest Genetics Researcher at the institute, Hailu Atnafu said the first measure should be the creation of ownership mentality among the society so that they could eventually take the lead in prompting and protecting the parks.

Ethiopia has reportedly over 6,000 species of plants and 277 species of mammals, out of which 35 are endemic; and more than 800 species of birds.