Causes for Biodiversity Loss in Ethiopia: A Review from Conservation Perspective

Abstract

Although there is ample theoretical evidence of the economic and social causes of biodiversity loss, empirical evidence for most of these relationships is fragmented, meager or non-existent.  Important biological causes for the loss of biological diversity include the loss of habitats, the introduction of exotic species, over-harvesting of biodiversity resources, and homogenization of species in agriculture. The common factor of all these elements is that they are human-driven. More research in this area is imperative. It is also most questionable and expected whether current nature-conservation directions provide sufficient answers to these root causes of biodiversity loss and are able to counteract the loss of biodiversity-related cultural values, biological species and ecosystems in an effective way. This Review paper gives the overview on the economic and social root causes behind biodiversity loss and identifies potential opportunities in Ethiopia. Furthermore, it also identifies the challenges and future directions to put into practice. The analysis is based only on theoretical considerations and overviews on current estimates. To scale up biodiversity conservation loss, better promotion with practical conservation practices, community based management approaches and sector based conservation and integration should be implemented throughout the whole resource area.

Keywords: Biodiversity loss, conservation, climate change, Ethiopia