Wild life plays a critical role in maintaining ecological balance, supporting biodiversity, and providing ecosystem services like pollination, pest control, and nutrient cycling. Conservation of wild life in Ethiopia is conducted through several approaches including community-based and indigenous conservation schemes, church forests & sacred groves: In northern and southwestern Ethiopia, small church forests and sacred groves protect a vast diversity of indigenous trees--over 148 species across just ~1,000 km²--showcasing how community-anchored religious traditions contribute to biodiversity conservation.
Some wild life community conservation spots include Guassa Community Conservation Area (Qero System): A centuries-old common property regime spanning ~100 km² in the central highlands in Tarma Ber. It has safeguarded endemic wildlife through local governance systems.
Areas like Dodola Community Conservation Area in Western Arsi Zone harbor as many large mammal species as national parks, including endangered ones. These zones not only foster habitat restoration but also generate income via trophy hunting, tourism, and forest product sales, with around 60% of revenue going directly to local communities.
The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), through its impact investment arm, has financed lodges in the Bale and Simien Mountains National Parks. These Eco lodges create jobs, support local agriculture, and even fund conservation-linked schooling, building a circular relationship between nature, communities, and tourism.
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The Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) is coordinating with communities, other government agencies, and neighboring countries to combat illegal wildlife trafficking and align with international agreements like CITES.
Projects such as Ethio-Trees use enclosures (areas protected from grazing) to restore woodlands, sequester carbon, and bolster groundwater resources and honey production. They also generate carbon credits and improve livelihoods, especially for landless youth.
According to World Bank, at the Kafa Biosphere Reserve, blending coffee farming with biodiversity restoration has seen wildlife return to once-degraded land, while sustainable land management programs (e.g., World Bank-backed initiatives) have rehabilitated nearly 900,000 hectares, linking conservation with food security and income.
A $500 million initiative led by the Climate Investment Funds (including $37 million via Nature, People, and Climate) aims to restore over 320,000 hectares of degraded lands, protect forests, combat desertification, and bolster livelihoods across multiple regions. Avatars such as smallholder support, soil health, water conservation, and afforestation are central to this effort.
A recent survey at Dodola Community Conservation Area found that this community-managed zone supports 24 large mammal species-a richness comparable to national parks demonstrating the potential of local stewardship in wildlife conservation.
Projects like Ethio-Trees have implemented enclosures-areas blocked from grazing-to restore woodlands, capture carbon, enrich groundwater, and boost honey and incense production. These projects also generate carbon credits that communities reinvest in local priorities like schools or water infrastructure.
The Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) drives wildlife conservation efforts through policy, protected area management, law enforcement, ecotourism regulation, and international collaboration, ensuring efforts are both sustainable and inclusive.
Ethiopia's diverse landscapes and endemic species such as the Ethiopian wolf, Walia ibex, and gelada baboon offer rich ecotourism potential. This sector complements national heritage and creates income opportunities for local communities through guided tours, lodges, and related services in tourism development.
Launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019, the Green Legacy Initiative aims to combat deforestation and climate change, land degradation and providing a favorable condition for reviving springs and brooks that dried up during dry spells in different parts of the country. Hillside tree planting, for instance, in Eastern Hararghe Zone has helped farmers to reclaim lands that were devastatingly eroded by flooding. Over the last seven years, more than 40 billion trees were planted across the country with full participation of 30 million Ethiopians from all walks of life. This has helped to restore degraded lands and creation of green belts and forests in the country. The program has been instrumental in supporting ecosystem resilience which has in turn helped to maintain wild life habitat.
Ethiopia is part of the Horn of Africa, one of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots. The country has more than 6000 species of trees and also known for its rich ecosystems, ranging from Afro alpine highlands to arid deserts. It harbors over 6,000 species of higher plants, about 279 mammals, and more than 860 bird species, many of which are endemic.
What is the actual relationship between wild life conservation, ecotourism, Green Legacy Initiative and bio-diversity? The author wishes to establish the necessary links that clearly show how all the programs contribute to the economic development of the country as follows.
The survival of wild life in Ethiopia depends upon a balanced habitat in which life nourishing resources like water, forests for shelter and food are available. On the other hand, the natural ecosystem provides a venue in which wild life could flourish with no external interference by human kind. Over the last 50 years, drought, floods, landslide and other natural calamities like forest fires have devastated the balance of nature in the country.
As noted earlier, GLI was launched in 2019, targeting large scale tree planting to restore degraded lands, combat climate change, and enhance biodiversity.
While initially some exotic species were used, studies show GLI sites are now fostering regeneration of native plant species, supporting biodiversity restoration and ecosystem resilience GLI improves ecosystem services including hydrological regulation, soil stability, nutrient cycling, and species diversity. A study in the Lake Hawassa watershed found that over 80% of sampled plots from GLI interventions showed significant improvements in these ecological functions .
Enhancing forest cover (now estimated at around 23-24%) strengthens landscapes and bolsters ecosystem resilience.
Habitats restored by GLI support wildlife indirectly by regenerating vegetation, stabilizing soil, and improving water resources, they help sustain the ecosystems where wildlife thrives.
Ethiopia's protected areas and biodiversity hotspots-such as Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve (rich in endemic fish, bird species, wetlands) and Yayu Biosphere Reserve (a global stronghold for wild Coffee Arabica and important bird habitats) are essential components of the country's biological heritage.
By planting indigenous trees and rehabilitating landscapes, GLI directly strengthens ecosystem structure and function.
Improved ecosystems support the return and survival of native flora and fauna, building biodiversity and ecological balance.
While not the primary focus of GLI, the restored ecosystems create more robust habitats for wildlife-including in core biodiversity areas like Lake Tana and Yayu.
Institutional Collaboration: Agencies like the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) oversee protected areas and wildlife, while EBI supports biodiversity and seedlings-GLI functions as a nexus, enhancing ecosystem connectivity that benefits both biodiversity and wildlife.
The Green Legacy Initiative is a massive reforestation effort that enriches ecosystems, revitalizes biodiversity, and indirectly nourishes wildlife habitats across Ethiopia. Through planting indigenous species, improving ecosystem health, and creating ecological corridors, GLI underpins the long term conservation of wildlife and natural systems especially when paired with targeted protection efforts in biosphere reserves and parks.
The improvement and development of Green Legacy Initiative is not just about planting trees. As the reader has seen from the above analysis, those who discredit the initiative simply show their ignorance about the interlocking relations between Green Legacy and other forms of environmental rehabilitation programs that are of critical importance for the national economy, health, income generation and the promotion of the agricultural sector.
The above-mentioned sectors and activities are of course conducted in Ethiopia at the national level but they have broader global significance.
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The Green Legacy Initiative set an initial target of planting 20 billion seedlings within four years, significantly exceeding expectations with 25 billion seedlings planted by its fourth year. It generated over 120,000 nurseries and created more than 767,000 jobs, particularly for women and youth.
By mid 2025, Ethiopia is aiming to plant 50 billion trees by 2026, with around 40 billion already planted. In one record-breaking campaign on July 31, 2025, 714 million seedlings were reportedly planted in a single day, mobilizing 27.7 million citizens.
The initiative supports Ethiopia's broader Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy and its National Adaptation Plan, contributing to key global frameworks such as the Paris Agreement, SDGs, and Agenda 2063.
Ecologically, efforts have helped increase forest coverage--from estimates of 17% to 23%, reduced deforestation rates, rehabilitated degraded land, improved soil and water retention, and contributed to carbon sequestration. Ethiopia's approach serves as an inspiration and model for climate action across Africa. The initiative aligns with the African Union's Great Green Wall, encouraging regional collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Symbolic exchanges--such as Prime Minister Abiy gifting seedlings to Nigeria's Vice President, who reciprocated with cashew seedlings--underscore Ethiopia's leadership in Pan-African environmental solidarity.
Few initiatives in the world match the sheer scale and mobilization Ethiopia has demonstrated.
It merges ecological restoration with socio-economic development--addressing poverty, food security, and climate adaptation.
As a climate-vulnerable developing nation, Ethiopia's bold approach challenges the notion that impactful environmental action is only for wealthier countries.
The initiative elevates environmental stewardship as a cornerstone of national pride and regional cooperation.
