Project description

Title: Sustainable Development of the Protected Area System of Ethiopia (SDPASE)
Commissioned by: Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA)
Financier: Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Ethiopian Government – in kind contribution, and various national and international institutions as co-financiers
Country: Ethiopia
Overall term: 2008 to 2012

Context

Ethiopia has more than 30 national parks, wildlife reserves, controlled hunting areas and wildlife sanctuaries. Over 6,000 species of plants exist here, many of which have still not been described by science. The country is a famous destination for bird watchers, as it is home to more than 860 bird species, 30 of which are endemic, with two endemic genera. Some 14 of the endemic bird species are shared with Eritrea. There are also 279 species of mammals, of which 35 are endemic, with six endemic genera. The country also harbours important populations of elephants and lions. Together, Ethiopia's protected areas cover an impressive 14 % of the country.

In the past, the biodiversity of many of the protected areas has declined. They are accessible to people who use the land heavily for grazing livestock, and settlements have been established in some. The lack of protection has allowed the degradation of the environment and with it the basis for many species' existence. The effects this has on sustainable development have not yet been properly understood by many Ethiopians.

Objective

Ethiopia’s biodiversity, ecosystems and ecological processes are effectively safeguarded from human-induced pressures and adequately represented in a sustainable Protected Area System that is contributing significantly to economic development, at both local and national levels.

Approach

The Government of Ethiopia has included environmental issues in the Federal Constitution, and has formed new policies and passed new legislation. It established the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) as a part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. EWCA then selected GIZ International Services as its implementing partner for the first of the project's two planned implementation phases.

The project is protecting the environment – which is crucial for local people's livelihoods – by providing environmental services at community and national levels. To meet global challenges, such as climate change and loss of biodiversity, the project is helping Ethiopia to fulfil its constitutional and international commitments. It is developing the capacity of stakeholders in the Protected Area System, which contributes much to the achievement of the country's poverty reduction strategy as well as the Millennium Development Goals.

The project is mainstreaming the Protected Area System in the overall development context of Ethiopia, and it is helping to improve conditions for policy, regulation and governance in the sector. Activities include the creation of financial sustainability plans, capacity building and institutional support for the planning and management of protected areas, and the development of new management concepts and partnerships for protected areas.

Results achieved so far

• An economic assessment has been carried out for the protected areas and for wildlife in Ethiopia as a whole; an overview map has been developed.
• Close contacts have been established with a multitude of stakeholders and a number of pilot interventions have been carried out, which targeted selected priority areas and landscape types.
• By May 2011 more than 600 new scouts had completed their training, which was based on a curriculum developed by SDPASE. This includes special training manuals covering basic training in wildlife management, protected area management, wildlife tracking, weapons handling etc. As a result, the protected areas are now being managed more effectively and more sustainably.
• Field equipment has been procured, including base-to-vehicle radio communications systems, and uniforms for the rangers have been distributed to both federal and regional authorities. The uniform gives the scouts added authority, while the new equipment enables them guard the parks properly against illegal activities.
• Radio communication is being installed for all protected areas, under the management of EWCA.
• The demarcation of EWCA’s protected areas has been renewed.
• A business planning tool for the Protected Area Systems of EWCA has been developed.

Further information

• Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority
  A governmental parastatal organisation under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, EWCA also works closely with other national and international wildlife conservation bodies.
  http://www.ewca.gov.et