Importance of Integrating Beekeeping with Closure Areas in Ethiopia: Status and Future Prospects

Abstract

The review was conducted to assess the importance, status and prospects of beekeeping integrated with protected area in Ethiopia. The wide climatic and edaphic variability have endowed Ethiopia with diverse and unique flowering plant that is highly suitable for sustaining a large number of bee colonies and the long established practice of beekeeping. The Government has recently focused the need to develop apiculture as one of the strategies to reduce poverty and to diversify national exports. Apiculture plays a significant role in generating additional cash income to millions of farmer beekeepers in the rural areas and to the national economy of the country.  Honeybees and flowering plants have a well developed system of interdependence. However, the rich biodiversity of Ethiopia is under serious threat from deforestation and land degradation, overexploitation, overgrazing, habitat loss. The trend of beekeeping in relation to protected area is still slightly increased but it is under threaten. Therefore, there should be strong integration between beekeeping and area closures because area closures are of priceless ecological values.

Keywords: Beekeeping, Closure areas, Trends, Status