Conservation Challenges and Causes of Wildlife Habitat Change in Kafta Sheraro National Park, Northwestern Tigray, Ethiopia
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology 12(3): 38-55, 2020; Article no.AJEE.54918 ISSN: 2456-690X Conservation Challenges and Causes of Wildlife Habitat Change in Kafta Sheraro National Park, Northwestern Tigray, Ethiopia Selemawi Abrehe1*, Yikunoamlak Gebrewahid2 and Gebrehiwot Gebreab3 1Tigray Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Mekelle Soil Research Center (MSRC), P.O. Box 1070, Mekelle, Ethiopia. 2Tigray Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Mekelle Agricultural Research Center (MARC), P.O. Box 258, Mekelle, Ethiopia. 3Tigray Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Humera Agricultural Research Center (HuARC), P.O. Box 62, Humera, Ethiopia. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Author SA designed the study, performed the statistical analysis, wrote the protocol and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Authors YG and GG managed the analyses of the study and managed the literature searches. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/AJEE/2020/v12i330161 Editor(s): (1) Dr. Ravi Kant Chaturvedi, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. R. China. Reviewers: (1) Egbe B. Besong, University of Buea, Cameroon. (2) Martin Potgieter, University of Limpopo, South Africa. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sdiarticle4.com/review-history/54918 Received 12 February 2020 Accepted 18 April 2020 Original Research Article Published 09 May 2020 ABSTRACT Aims: Assess the major conservation challenges and causes of wildlife habitat changes in Kafta Sheraro National Park. Study Design: This study was investigated based on a questionnaire survey, focus group discussion, and field observation. Place and Duration of Study: Kafta Sheraro National Park, Northwest Ethiopia (from October 2016 to March 2017). Methodology: The collected data were analyzed using SPSS, descriptive statistics analysis such as Frequency, percentages, Chi-square (χ²) test and P- values were used. Eleven villages were selected based on proximity to the national park. A total of 460 household heads were interviewed. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; #ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3085-1765 Abrehe et al.; AJEE, 12(3): 38-55, 2020; Article no.AJEE.54918 Results: The result of the study indicated 385 (83.7%) of respondents were mixed farming, while 57 (12.6%) livestock rearing and 17 (3.7%) other business activities were engaged. Agricultural expansion 131 (28.5%), livestock grazing 113 (24.6%), deforestation 68 (14.8%), forest fire 57 (12.4%), illegal gold mining 26 (5.7%) and hunting 24 (5.2%) were the major problems of the park. Among the respondents, lack of community awareness 161 (35.0%), followed by lack of patrolling and monitoring 120(26.1%), lack of law enforcement, 95 (20.7%), issue of a boundary 30 (6.5%), and lack of security 13 (2.8%) were the main causes for properly wildlife conservation and management. Conclusions: The human, livestock and wildlife interactions will continue to destroy the park. Unless urgent management action is taken to solve the problems through full participation from the local people. Therefore, stakeholders should work together and displace agricultural activities out of wildlife habitat through commitment and introduce community-based conservation approaches. Keywords: Causes of wildlife habitat changes; challenges; wildlife conservation; Kafta Sheraro National Park. 1. INTRODUCTION reserves, 3 wildlife sanctuaries, 17 controlled and 7 open hunting areas and 3 community Protected areas, such as national parks, game conserved areas [13]. reserves, and sanctuaries, play a vital role in biodiversity throughout the world [1-4] and it also Today, there are about 73 wildlife protected contributes towards human wellbeing and areas in the country under six management sustainable development [5]. Protected areas categories [14]: 27 national parks, 2 wildlife cover almost 13% of the Earth’s land [6]. It is one sanctuaries, 6 wildlife reserves, 25 controlled of the best methods to realize wildlife habitat hunting areas, 5 biosphere reserves, and 8 conservation [7]. However, developing countries community conservation areas. However, the are more vulnerable than in developed counties protected areas system of the country had [2]. not been designed with scientific concepts to ensure the role in biodiversity conservation [12, In many parts of Africa, particularly within East 15]. Africa, the number of protected areas is high compared to many other countries [8]. Currently, As a result, many protected areas are under a according to the World Database on Protected severe threat of degradation by the Areas, there are 1,776 nationally designated anthropogenic factor and becoming isolated [3, protected areas in East Africa covering more 16]. Human livelihood activities are highly than 27% of its terrestrial area [5]. Protected influenced the natural ecosystems and wildlife areas continue to be expanded, established or habitat across different regions [17,18]. The upgraded through the region. However, most tendency to agricultural activities and establish protected areas in the region were established human settlements in previously wildlife areas without considering conservation planning are becoming common [19] due to a shortage of techniques to optimize reserves based on land for forage and farmimg, which has resulted particular criteria [9]. As a consequence, many in protected areas’ wildlife being threatened [20]. protected areas are under threat [2]. Besides, livestock grazing can have strong impacts on native wildlife, habitat transformation, Ethiopia is one of the world's rich biodiversity and and overall ecosystem function and structure unique physical features [10,11]. It contains [21]. Moreover, almost all protected areas in various wildlife and wildlife habitats ranging from Ethiopia are constrained by limited personnel, highest is Ras Dejen in the Simien Mountains funding, and training in wildlife conservation and massif rising to about 4533 m above sea level to management [22]. Hence, protected areas must Dallol 110 m below sea level at kobar sink on be well managed to provide wildlife habitat Afar depressions [12]. It has a long history of quality and to decrease neighborhood effects wildlife conservation [12]. For example, the such as deforestation, habitat fragmentation, country had only two protected areas before settlements, pollution and hunting [23]. 1970, and then 52 protected areas cover about Therefore, it requires an understanding of major 15 % of the total land of the country (Fig. 1). factors that affect wildlife conservation and the These include 20 national parks, 2 wildlife causes of wildlife habitat changes [7]. 39 Abrehe et al.; AJEE, 12(3): 38-55, 2020; Article no.AJEE.54918 Fig. 1. Protected areas of Ethiopia [11] Kafta Sheraro National Park (KSNP) is the only 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS national park found in the Tigray region. It has a huge potential in conserving biodiversity. 2.1 Study Area However, it is one of the highly threatening parks of the country due to increasing pressure from a The study was conducted at KSNP found within rapidly growing human population. Human - the western and northwest zones of Tigray. It is livestock - wildlife interactions have increased in located between 1350' and 1423' North and around the park [24,25]. The local people in latitudes; and 3631' and 3729' East longitudes the study area are linked to the local biodiversity in the Tigray National Regional State of and the resources that exist in and around the Northwest Ethiopia (Fig. 2). The study area park. People who have settled inside the park covers about 2,176 Km2. It is surrounded by (around Tekeze bridge) or on the borders of the villages namely, Hilet-coca, Adabay, Freselam, park make heavy use of the park’s resources. As Wuhdet, Mayweyni, Kunama Adigoshu, Hbaesh such, they can affect the biodiversity because of Adigoshu, Maykeyh, Adiaser, Aditstser, and their direct dependence on the natural resources Mykuhli. According to the CSA report, the total for different purposes such as agricultural population of these villages was 63,556, of whom expansion, fuelwood, house construction 34,210 men and 29,346 women CSA [26]. materials, sale of wood products, hunting, and free-range livestock grazing. Most of KSNP Based on preliminary studies were conducted by ecosystems are coming under increasing EWCA [27] during 2007, the park has 42 species pressure and it needs better manage the of mammals, 163 species of birds, 9 species of resource base. In order to assist wildlife reptiles, 37 species of plants and several conservation efforts together with sustainable unidentified fish, reptiles, and amphibian livelihood measures for surrounding species.Some mammal species are African communities, the aim of this study was to elephant (Loxodonta africana), Greater kudu investigate the wildlife conservation challenges (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), Eland (Tragelaphus and main causes of wildlife habitat changes in oryx), Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), the park, where the surrounding farmers are Thomason’s Gazelle (Gazella rufricanus), Oribi predominantly dependent on subsistence farming (Ourebia ourebi), Olive Baboon (Papio Anubis), and livestock rearing. Vervet Monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops), 40 Abrehe et al.; AJEE, 12(3): 38-55, 2020; Article no.AJEE.54918 Fig. 2. Location of the Kafta Sheraro National Park Serval cat