GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA INSTITUTE OF BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN December 2005 Addis Ababa Ethiopia TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................................... i ACRONYMS..................................................................................................................... iv FOREWORD ……………………………………………………………………………..v NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL …………………………………………...vi PREFACE.........................................................................................................................vii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................... ix CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................. 1 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1 WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?............................................................................................................... 1 1.2 BIODIVERSITY AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE..................................................................................... 1 1.3 THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD) ......................................................... 2 1.4 A BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN FOR ETHIOPIA........................................ 3 1.5 THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT..................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................ 4 BIODIVERSITY IN ETHIOPIA - A REVIEW ................................................................. 4 2.1 CURRENT STATUS AND THREATS............................................................................................... 5 2.1.1 Physiography..................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.2. NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS IN ETHIOPIA.................................................................................... 6 2.1.2.1. Afroalpine and Subafroalpine Ecosystem...................................................................................... 7 2.1.2.2 Dry Evergreen Montane Forest and Grassland complex................................................................. 8 2.1.2.3 Moist Evergreen Montane Forest Ecosystem................................................................................10 2.1.2.4 Acacia-Comiphora Woodland Ecosystem .................................................................................... 12 2.1.2.5 Combretum-Terminalia Woodland Ecosystem............................................................................. 13 2.1.2.6 Lowland, Semi-evergreen Forest Ecosystem................................................................................ 14 2.1.2.7 Desert and Semi-desert Scrubland Ecosystem..............................................................................15 2.1.2.8 Aquatic Ecosystem........................................................................................................................ 16 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES.................................................................................................................. 19 2.1.3 Micro-organisms.............................................................................................................................. 19 2.1.3.1. Agriculture................................................................................................................................... 19 2.1.3.2 Industry ......................................................................................................................................... 20 2.1.3.3 Medicine ....................................................................................................................................... 20 2.1.3.4 Microbial diversity and Conservation status................................................................................. 21 2.1.4 Flora (including Crops) ................................................................................................................... 21 2.1.4.1. Forest Resources ........................................................................................................................ 223 2.1.4.2. Field Crop Resources................................................................................................................. 245 2.1.4.3 Horticultural Crop Resources........................................................................................................ 25 2.1.4.5 Essential Oil Bearing Plant Resources.......................................................................................... 26 2.1.4.6 Medicinal Plant Resources............................................................................................................ 27 2.1.4.7 Pasture and Forage Genetic Resources ......................................................................................... 27 2.1.5 Wild and Domestic Fauna ............................................................................................................... 28 2.1.5.1 Wild Faunal Resources ................................................................................................................. 28 2.1.5.2 Protected Areas ............................................................................................................................. 31 2.1.5.3 Domestic Faunal Resources........................................................................................................ 323 2.2 ROOT CAUSES OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN ETHIOPIA........................................................... 34 2.2.1.Direct Threats and Root Causes of Ecosystem Biodiversity Loss................................................... 34 2.2.2. Threats to agro-biodiversity............................................................................................................ 35 i 2.2.3. Cross-cutting Causes of Biodiversity Loss ..................................................................................... 36 2.2.3.1 Population growth and Increasing Demand for Natural Resources.............................................. 36 2.2.3.2 Economic systems and valuation of the environment and its resources ....................................... 36 2.2.3.3 Inequity in Ownership .................................................................................................................. 37 2.2.3.4 Deficiencies in knowledge and its application.............................................................................. 38 2.2.3.5 Legal and institutional systems that promote unsustainable exploitation..................................... 38 2.3. REVIEW OF KEY BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ISSUES ................................................. 39 2.3.1. Planning and Polices....................................................................................................................... 39 2.3.2. Legislation...................................................................................................................................... 42 2.3.3. Identification and Monitoring......................................................................................................... 43 2.3.4. In-Situ Conservation....................................................................................................................... 43 2.3.5 Ex-Situ Conservation ....................................................................................................................... 45 2.3.6 Sustainable Use ............................................................................................................................... 46 2.3.7 Incentive Measures.......................................................................................................................... 47 2.3.8 Capacity Building in Research and Training................................................................................... 49 2.3.9 Public Education and Awareness..................................................................................................... 49 2.3.10 Environmental Impact Assessment................................................................................................ 50 2.3.11 Access Issues................................................................................................................................. 50 2.3.12 Exchange of Information............................................................................................................... 51 2.3.13 Financial Resources....................................................................................................................... 51 2.3.14 Technology Transfer..................................................................................................................... 52 CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................... 55 PRINCIPLES, GOAL, STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES .. 55 3.1. BASIC PRINCIPLES........................................................................................................................ 55 3.2 THE GOAL OF THE BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN.................................. 56 3.2 STRATEGTIC