Conservation Challenges and Causes of Wildlife Habitat Change in Kafta Sheraro National Park, Northwestern Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

Aims: Assess the major conservation challenges and causes of wildlife habitat changes in Kafta Sheraro National Park.
 Study Design: This study was investigated based on a questionnaire survey, focus group discussion, and field observation.
 Place and Duration of Study: Kafta Sheraro National Park, Northwest Ethiopia (from October 2016 to March 2017).
 Methodology: The collected data were analyzed using SPSS, descriptive statistics analysis such as Frequency, percentages, Chi-square (χ²) test and P- values were used. Eleven villages were selected based on proximity to the national park. A total of 460 household heads were interviewed.
 Results: The result of the study indicated 385 (83.7%) of respondents were mixed farming, while 57 (12.6%) livestock rearing and 17 (3.7%) other business activities were engaged. Agricultural expansion 131 (28.5%), livestock grazing 113 (24.6%), deforestation 68 (14.8%), forest fire 57 (12.4%), illegal gold mining 26 (5.7%) and hunting 24 (5.2%) were the major problems of the park. Among the respondents, lack of community awareness 161 (35.0%), followed by lack of patrolling and monitoring 120(26.1%), lack of law enforcement, 95 (20.7%), issue of a boundary 30 (6.5%), and lack of security 13 (2.8%) were the main causes for properly wildlife conservation and management.
 Conclusions: The human, livestock and wildlife interactions will continue to destroy the park. Unless urgent management action is taken to solve the problems through full participation from the local people. Therefore, stakeholders should work together and displace agricultural activities out of wildlife habitat through commitment and introduce community-based conservation approaches.

Assessment of challenges and opportunities for wildlife conservation in Wenchi highlands, central Ethiopia

“…Land–use changes for agricultural production and human settlement are the main biodiversity threats in Wenchi highlands. This is in agreement with several reports in Ethiopia (Abune, 2000; Abrehe et al 2020; Kiros & Bekele, 2021) and elsewhere (Mamabolo et al 2020). The conversion of natural habitats for agricultural expansion is one of the most significant land-use changes in the world (Frick et al 2019), and is primarily associated with higher crop productivity of these areas than farmlands (Kiros & Bekele, 2021).…”

“…Firewood collection is one of the major biodiversity threats in Wenchi highlands. Similar findings were also reported from different parts of Ethiopia (Legese et al 2019; Abrehe et al 2020). This is because the majority of the rural communities do not obtain electricity, and rely on fuelwood as sources of energy.…”

“…Continuous livestock grazing is also a predominant biodiversity threat in Wenchi highlands. Overgrazing is known to affect the demography, population structure, spatial range of individuals and species, changing the community structure (Kasso & Bekele, 2014; Abrehe et al 2020).…”

“…Most of the natural habitats in the Ethiopian highlands have also a high level of mammal endemism though they are threatened by intense and irreversible anthropogenic impacts (Abune, 2000; Fekadu et al 2015; Lavrenchenko & Bekele, 2017). These anthropogenic pressures either fragmented or destroyed numerous natural wildlife habitats and their biodiversity (Musyoki et al 2012; Kasso & Bekele, 2014; Petros et al 2016; Legese et al 2019; Abrehe et al 2020). Many of the endemic mammals of the country in particular are heavily threatened (Lavrenchenko & Bekele, 2017).…”