ABSTRACT
The highlands of Ethiopia are home to many plant and animal species, including endemic and globally threatened ones. These highlands are part of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot, ancient landscapes where human civilization and agriculture originated, and one of Vavilov’s centres of origin and diversity for crop plants worldwide. Besides, they are considered as the water tower of Africa, where trans-boundary rivers such as the Blue Nile originate. Natural habitats in Ethiopia are increasingly threatened by deforestation, land degradation and climate change. Most natural habitats are not well represented in the protected areas system. In response, researchers and NGOs started promoting a landscape management approach that integrates biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, adopting the UNESCO biosphere reserve (BR) approach. Initially, it took some years of consultation and promotion to get buy-in from the local communities and government to establish the first two BRs, which were designated in 2010. Currently, there is a strong drive to adopt the BR approach in many parts of Ethiopia. Today, there are five BRs in the country. They form part of ‘the new generation’ of BRs, based upon local initiatives and without any other protected area in place. Nevertheless, there are major challenges such as (i) institutional management arrangement and stakeholder coordination, (ii) expectations of the local communities for accelerated livelihood improvement/transformative changes, and (iii) integration of existing approaches and emerging plans and programs led by different key stakeholders.
