Deforestation is a major concern for Ethiopia as studies suggest
loss of forest contributes to soil erosion, loss of nutrients in the
soil, loss of animal habitats and reduction in biodiversity. At the
beginning of the Twentieth century around 420,000 km² or 35% of
Ethiopia’s land was covered by trees but recent research indicates that
forest cover is now approximately 11.9% of the area. Ethiopia is one of the seven fundamental and independent centers of origin of cultivated plants of the world.
Ethiopia loses an estimated 1,410 km² of natural forests each year.
Between 1990 and 2005 the country lost approximately 21,000 km².
Current government programs to control deforestation consist of
education, promoting reforestation programs and providing alternate raw
material to timber. In rural areas the government also provides
non-timber fuel sources and access to non-forested land to promote
agriculture without destroying forest habitat.
Organizations such as SOS and Farm Africa are working with the
federal government and local governments to create a system of forest
management.
Working with a grant of approximately 2.3 million Euros the Ethiopian
government recently began training people on reducing erosion and using
proper irrigation techniques that do not contribute to deforestation.
This project is assisting more than 80 communities.
