Review on Problems, Prospects and Economic Contribution of Wildlife Management and Ecotourism in Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia contains one-fourth of Africa’s wildlife and is comprised of 277 terrestrial mammals, 861 birds, 201 reptiles, 65 species of amphibians, 150 freshwater fish, and over 1,225 arthropods with a high rate of endemism, but It’s Wildlife populations and their management are constrained by different factors. Habitat destruction, fragmentation, poaching, and lack of clear national and international policies, lack of commitment from government officials, scarcity of funds, expansion of large scale agriculture, illegal exploitation of natural resources, and lack of skilled staff are the main ones. In addition to these, Ethiopia’s Ecotourism potential is huge and unmatched but the sector is in its infancy stage due to lacks of effective and sound institutional framework and legal bases for ecotourism development in related to the less emphasis and recognition given to ecotourism and also lack of cohesiveness, integrity and cooperation among the stakeholder. Most of the national parks and protected areas of the country are under pressure from the surrounding communities in search of cultivable land, grazing land, or wood for different purposes. These seminar papers give a highlight, not only on the problems of wildlife management and ecotourism in Ethiopia, but also the economic contribution and prospects of wildlife management and ecotourism in Ethiopia. It also give an over view on ecology, ecosystem and biodiversity in the area