Dr. Girma Balcha

Not every generation can see two millennia. A generation that can see and celebrate two Millennia is the one that is born on the transition. We are luckily borne on the transition from the second to the third millennium.

I would like to, therefore, take this opportunity to congratulate all those who have contributed to the conservation and sustainable uses of biological diversity.

Finally, I wish you a happy, prosperous and joyful New Millennium and New Year.

Girma Balcha (PhD)

Director General, Institute of Biodiversity Conservation

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Dr. Kassahun Embaye

First of all I would like to thank our webmaster Mr. Abiyot Berhanu for initiating and following up an electronic means of millennium wish expression to biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization stakeholders who visit our website.

Apparently, all citizens of this decade did dream to celebrate the combined event of the Ethiopian new-year, new-decade, new-century and new-millennium. However, only the fortunate ones have made it; and I congratulate all compatriots who are so fortunate to celebrate this historic event.

An even of this scale and value should also be an occasion for hind- and fore-sights, in view of learning from the past and planning for the future. In the Ethiopian context, sustainable socio-economic growth and development is the central issue and the ultimate goal of a national planning. This could only be realized if there is adequate biodiversity to underpin the desired socio-economic growth and development on sustainable bases.

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Utilization are gaining increasing attention both by the government and the public, although much remains to accelerate it in a more perfected direction and at a desirable speed. I urge all citizens to fully incorporate biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization in all land development endeavors; and for schools, military camps, hospitals, community based organizations and the like to continue planting and cultivating endemic and indigenous plants of Ethiopia in their work areas and gathering places. The future is ours and we have the obligation to shape and develop it properly.

I wish all Ethiopians a healthy, peaceful and prosperous new year, new decade, new century and new millennium.

Kassahun Embaye (PhD),

Deputy Director General,

Institute of Biodiversity Conservation,

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Northern Ethiopian highlands have been exposed to severe soil erosion and land depredation in the last millennia due to over-utilization and poor land use system. Plain and fertile grazing and farm areas have been converted into degraded and infertile gorges. As a result, the people in those areas have become victims of poverty.

Grazing land degredation due to soil erosion (Photo: Abiyot B.)

In response to the problem, the Wereda Agriculture and rural development unit demarcated a buffer zone between streams and grazing/farm areas on the eve of the New Ethiopian Millennium (May 2007). After four months, a significant change was observed…vegetation regeneration such as grasses, acacia and other indigenous species started on the degraded sides of streams. This is an excellent example to rehabilitate degraded areas elsewhere. Our institute congratulates the region as well as the Quarit Wereda district for their great effort! Hopefully, their effort will continue on similar areas (see photos below).

Buffer Zone between the stream and farm/grazing land fenced (Photo: Abiyot B.)

Grass regeneration on the buffer zone (Photo: Abiyot B.)

Acacia and grass regeneration on the buffer zone (Photo: Abiyot B.)

By Eshetayehu Tefera

“I captured this photo while I was in the field around rural areas
in Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples Region.”

Photo by Eshetayehu Tefera

Question…

Is captivation, a practice of conservation or Genetic erosion?

Ethiopian Coffee Forest Forum [ECFF] in collaboration with the Institute of Biodiversity Conservation [IBC], German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation [BFN] and ZEF awarded 12 children out of a total of 70 students from 14 schools in poems, songs, and drawings on Biodiversity Conservation. Being the feature of their country, children can make a difference in Biodiversity Conservation according to Dr. Girma Balcha, the Director General of the Institute of Biodiversity Conservation.

(By Abiyot B.)