Forest fires in Ethiopia: Reflections on socio-economic andenvironmental effects of the fires in 2000

摘要

Forest coverage in Ethiopia dropped from 40% to less than 3 % in the last four decades.rnThis alarming rate of deforestation is caused, among others, by fire the cheapest and most importantrntool used in rural communities to impact the land and therefore, is the main cause of deforestation. Thernannual loss of natural forest resources in Ethiopia in general, is estimated to be over 200,000 hectaresrn(ha). Serious economic, political, social and environmental shocks and devastation are exacerbatingrnthe food insecurity situation of the country.rnThe 2000 forest fires (ragged from end of January to early April) were certainly different fromrnprevious fires and constituted a serious disaster due to both the scale and type of land they affected.rnThese fires ravaged more than 300,000 ha of forest areas.rnThe UN Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia (UN-EUE), in collaboration with Brown University in thernUnited States of America fielded a mission conducted in Ethiopia in 2000: to assess socio-economicrnand environmental effects of the fires and to understand the causes; examine the effectiveness of thernresponse and gauge the preparedness of government and communities in responding to similar fires inrnthe future. Discussions with farmers and government officials in informal interviews and observationsrnwere employed during the study and fire sites were also visited.rnThe 2000 forest fires were anthropogenic in general and exacerbated by drought in 1999/2000. Thern2000 forest fire response had local (rural and urban), national and international dimension with bothrnsuccess and failure experience.rnLosses and damages from the 2000 fires were of economical, environmental (ecology and biodiversity)rnand social in nature. Even after all the said crises due to the wildfires Ethiopia is still not preparedrnand does not give adequate attention to efficiently protect its last natural forest resources.rnIn general, the 2000 forest fires manifested the complex problems in Ethiopian development asrnthey impacted on ethnic tensions, land tenure to socio-economic insecurity status. Fires will continuernto burn the precious remaining forests unless there is a fundamental and dramatic alteration in the wayrnpeople relate to land, in the way the government manages and protects it and in the type of value therncountry places on the environment.rnSustainable recommendations must focus on improving the quality of life for those who interactrnmost with the land and forest resources; understanding of the long-term benefits from environmentalrnconservation; improving infrastructure development and equipping the forest priority areas of therncountry with communication radios; formalizing contact procedures and strengthening the relationshiprnwith GFMC including for research needs and assistance; changing land ownership and giving localrncommunities a greater sense of investment in the land; allowing genuine participation of the communityrnin policy formulation and implementation and ensuring user-right of natural resources are indispensablernactions desired.