Practical Case Studies with Women Groups

Traditional natural resources management in Ethiopia has been unsustainable, owing to various 
reasons including poverty and lack of knowledge, which has resulted in rampant deforestation. Historical estimates suggest that approximately 40% of Ethiopian landmass was once covered with forest and was rich both in flora and fauna, only six or so decades ago (IUCN, 1990). However, this has declined to less than 3% of the total land mass today. Consequently, Ethiopia has been facing serious drought-induced famines. Poverty pressurizes people to focus on immediate livelihood necessities at the expense of long-term and sustainable benefits. Poverty is the major factor compelling people to illegally and irresponsibly use resources from protected areas for fuel wood (both for sale as well as consumption), construction materials and farm implements. 

Presenter: Takele Teshome, is a founder and Executive Director of the Association for Sustainable Development Alternatives (ASDA), a national NGO working in areas of food and livelihoods security, natural resource management, climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation and tourism. Takele holds a diploma in general agriculture and continued his further studies in Alemaya Agricultural University in plant science. Later he did his masters in the University of Reading, UK.