Environmental issues in Ethiopia

As in many neighboring countries, most environmental issues in Ethiopia relate to deforestation and endangered species.

Geological issues

The Main Ethiopian Rift is geologically active and susceptible to earthquakes. Hot springs and active volcanoes are found in its extreme east close to the Red Sea. Elsewhere, the land is subject to erosion, overgrazing, deforestation, and frequent droughts. Water shortages are common in some areas during the dry season. The causes of degradation are primarily the demand for more land for agriculture, fuel and construction as well as for grazing grounds.

Endangered animals

Ethiopian Wolf

The Ethiopian Wolf is one of the rarest and most endangered of all canid species. The numerous names given to this species reflect previous uncertainties about its taxonomic position. However, the Ethiopian Wolf is now thought to be related to the wolves of the genus Canis, rather than the foxes they resemble. Recent DNA evidence even seems to indicate that the Ethiopian Wolf is a descendant of the Gray Wolf^{[citation needed]}. If this lineage is correct, Ethiopian Wolves would be the only genuine wolves in Africa.

Gelada Baboons

A female Gelada

Although not listed as endangered, only 50,000-60,000 Geladas are known to exist. Hunting and habitat destruction has forced the Gelada into areas formerly inhabited only by the Olive Baboon; hybridisation between the two species has been observed^{[citation needed]}. In addition, in the southern part of the Amhara Plateau, Gelada males are periodically killed in order to use their manes in a coming-of-age ceremonies.^{[citation needed]} The consequent regular loss of much of the adult male population has disrupted the recovery of this population.

Ethiopian lions

Abyssinian lions are smaller than their east African cousins and the males have distinguishable black manes. Experts say only 1,000 Abyssinian lions (Panthera leo abyssinica) remain in Ethiopia.^{[citation needed]} Despite concern amongst conservationists, the 60-year-old Addis Ababa zoo is selling lion cubs to taxidermists because they are unable to feed the cats and lack room to house them.

Muhedin Abdulaziz, the zoo's administrator, said his US $64,000 budget was simply not enough to provide for more than 16 adult lions, which cannot be reintroduced to the wild. "There is a shortage of place and a shortage of budget and when they are over-populated, most of the time we send them to taxidermists," Muhedin said. "It is not really good, but we do this is because of the problems we have," he said.

The culling is done by a veterinarian who kills the cubs with poison. The bodies are sold for about US $175 each to taxidermists who then retail the stuffed lions for US $400. "For the time being our immediate solution is to send them to the taxidermists, but the final and best solution is to extend the zoo into a wider area," Muhedin said.

The director of the wildlife division of Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture said he had no idea the lions were being culled.^{[citation needed]}

Deforestation

Main article: Deforestation in Ethiopia

References

• Haileselassie, A. (2004) “Ethiopia’s struggle over land reform,” World Press Review 51.4, 32(2). Expanded Academic ASAP.
• Hillstrom, K. & Hillstrom, C. (2003). Africa and the Middle east; a continental Overview of Environmental Issues. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
• Maddox, G.H. (2006). Sub-Saharan Africa: An environmental history. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
• McCann.J.C.(1990). "A Great Agrarian cycle? Productivity in Highland Ethiopia, 1900 - 1987," Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 20:3, pp. 389–416. (Retrieved November 18, 2006 from JSTOR database)
• McCann, J.C. (1999). Green land, Brown land, Black land: An environmental history of Africa 1800-1990. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
• Mongabay.com "Ethiopia statistics." (Retrieved November 18, 2006)
• Parry, J (2003). "Tree choppers become tree planters," Appropriate Technology, 30(4), 38-39. Retrieved November 22, 2006, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 538367341)
• Parry, K (2003) "Perceptions of forest cover and tree planting and ownership in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia” unasylva, vol 54 Iss: 213 (2003), pp. 18(2).
• Sucoff, E. (2003). "Deforestation", Environmental Encyclopedia, at pp.358–359. Detroit: Gale.
• Williams, M.(2006). Deforesting the earth: From prehistory to global crisis: An Abridgment. Chicago: University Press.

External links

• WildCRU - Conservation of Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis) University of Oxford Department of Zoology website
• Eco-Tourism and Wildlife in Oromo territory

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Library of Congress Country Studies.