Potential Ramsar Sites of Ethiopia

A Preliminary Overview
A paper presented at the National Workshop on
Ramsar Convention and Ethiopia
March 18-19, 2004

Yilma Dellelegn Abebe

Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural
History Society
P. O. Box 13303
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
 Objectives of Paper
• To give a general picture of water and
wetlands in Ethiopia.
• To impart a general overview of what
Ramsar sites are and their need.
• To appreciate the fact that Ethiopia has
potential Ramsar sites at present.
• Recommendations on way forward
 Ethiopia: A dryland or a wetland?
• Known for recurring droughts and drylands
• Present the notion of having no water resources
• Eleven of Ethiopia’s rivers flow into
neighboring countries
• Rich in wetlands: alpine tarns, highland
springs, marshes, swamps, lakes and rivers.
• Surface water resources are estimated to be
more than 120 million m3 from 12 river basins
(EPA).
• An estimated 9% of this discharge remains in
the country.
 Ethiopia: A dryland or wetland?

• Only 18, 587 km2 of land area in Ethiopia is

covered by wetlands
• This comes up to 1.5 of the total land area
of the country
Why is there so little water in Ethiopia?
• Mismanagement
– Destruction of vegetation cover on
catchments
– Improper land use patterns and tenure
– Destructive agriculture

• Lack of Awareness on value of wetlands

• Natural distribution of water is irregular

A Convention for an important Ecosystem
• The plight of wetlands and the role they
play in everyday life has initiated the
Ramsar Convention.
• The only environmental treaty that handles
one kind of ecosystem.
• Has legal bindings for those who accede the
Convention.
• One of the commitments of contracting
parties is to designate and protect one site at
accession
 Site Designation: Preparation
• Ethiopia is not a contracting party
• Need to premeditate future action including
preparation of a country list
Ramsar Sites: an overview and need
• Sites of global importance found in all
contracting parties
• "develop and maintain and
international network of wetlands
which are important for the
conservation of global biological
diversity and for sustaining human life
through the ecological and
hydrological functions they perform"
 Global Overview of Ramsar Sites
• Current number of Contracting Parties is
138
• Total number of sites designated are 1,368
• Total area covered by these sites is
119,611,621 ha.
• Sites are selected using hydrological,
limnological, zoological, ecological,
botanical and/or IKS values
 Ramsar Sites: A Committment
• Compulsory that a contracting country at
signing come up with a site for designation.
• Subsequent additions are necessary but not
obligatory.
• A designated site requires a filled out form
and a map showing its boundaries.
• Conservation action is another side of the
commitment.
• The Government decides on the legal
measures at each site.
 Ramsar Sites: A Commitment
• Need to apply the wise use concept by
developing management plans for sites.

• Management planning is required for all

wetlands regardless their status.
 Selection Criteria for Ramsar Sites

• Representative or uniqueness
• Plant and Animal significance
• Specific criteria on waterfowl
• Specific criteria on fish
 Potential Ramsar Sites in Ethiopia
• Specific work on candidate Ramsar sites not
carried out.
• Previous work on IBAs and link with
Possible Ramsar sites can act as a first
reference. Would need to include information
on other groups to be more objective.
• According to this document Ethiopia has 31
potential Ramsar sites.
# Site Ramsar Criteria Region
1 Lake Abe 2,4,5 Afar
2 Abijatta-Shalla Park 2,4,5,6 Oromiya
3 Akaki-AbaSamuel 2,4,5,6 Oromiya
4 Alemaya-Adele 4,6 Oromiya
5 Lake Ashenge 2,4,6 Tigray
6 Lake Awassa 4,5,6 SNNP
7 Awi zone 2 Amhara
8 BahirDar-Lake Tana 2,4,5 Amhara
9 Bale Mts Nat Park 2 Oromiya
10 Baro River 2,4,5,6 Gambella
11 Berga 2,4,6 Oromiya
# Site Ramsar Criteria Region
12 Bishoftu 2 Oromiya
13 Boyo wetland 2,4,5 SNNP
14 Chelekleka 2,4,5,6 Oromiya
15 Chew Bahir 2,4,5,6 SNNP
16 Dessa’a Forest 2 Tigray
17 Finchaa/Chomen 2 Oromiya
18 Fogera Plains 2 Amhara
19 Gambella Park 2 Gambella
20 Gefersa Reservoir 2,4,6 14
21 Green Lake 2,4,5,6 Oromiya
22 Guassa (Menz) 2 Amhara
# Site Ramsar Criteria Region
23 Gudo 2 Oromiya
24 Jibat Forest 2 Oromiya
25 Koka Dam Gelila 2,4,5,6 Oromiya
26 Lake Langano 2 Oromiya
27 Metu-Gore-Tepi 2 Oromiya
28 Nechisar Park 2 SNNP
29 Sululta 2,4,6 Oromiya
30 Turkana/Omo Delta 2,4,5,6 SNNP
31 Zway 4,5 Oromiya
Total sites = 31
Summary of Ethiopian Ramsar Sites

• Oromiya = 16 sites (51%)

• SNNP = 5 sites ( 16%)
• Amhara = 4 sites (12.9%)
• Tigray = 2 sites (6.4%)
• Gambella = 2 sites (6.4%)
• Afar = 1 site (3.2%)
• Addis Ababa = 1 site (3.2%)
Becoming a Contracting Party: Implications
• A Ramsar site becomes one of several
global systems and therefore a member of a
network
• Designation does not mean wise use
• Ramsar has three pillars:
– Designation of sites
– Wise use of all wetlands
– International cooperation of shared aquatic
systems
 Implications
• Designation should follow with the other
pillars to be effective.
• Government and local administration have
the responsibility of protecting the site from
deleterious actions.

• Ramsar sites need our time, energy and

financial resources.
 Implications
• Ramsar sites are not traditional protected
areas and give due consideration to
traditional resource use.
• Considering the benefits from these kinds
of systems, Governments should appreciate
that they are doing their people a favor in
conserving them.
 Conclusions
• Ramsar listing is an important step in the
accession of the Convention.
• Becoming a contracting party is
meaningless without proper education and
awareness of basic facts that underlie the
reason for conserving these ecosystems.
• Ethiopia should take the necessary
measures to show responsible behavior and
commitment.
 Conclusions
• Put in place a strong national programme
that promotes the values and conservation
of wetland ecosystems. This includes
placing a responsible organ to handle
wetland conservation work.

• As an important ecosystem to which all our

water needs are associated to, the
Government should also think about
formulating a policy and guidelines for the
protection and proper use of these systems.
 THE END

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