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MELCA Newsletter Volume 1 No. 5 August 2012
The Sheka Forest has Become One of the Global Biosphere Reserves
The United Nations
Educational Scientific and
Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) has added the
Sheka forest to its global
list of 599 Biosphere
Reserves in 117 countries,
on 11, July 2012 in Paris.
According to UNESCO’s
definition, Biosphere
reserves are places
recognized by Man And
Biosphere (MAB) where
local communities are
actively involved in
governance and
management, research,
education, training and
monitoring at the service of
both socio-economic
development and
biodiversity conservation.
“Biosphere reserves are
sites for experimenting with
and learning about
sustainable development,”
UNESCO has said in a news
release about the adoption.
Sheka Forest is located in
the Sheka Zone of the
Southern Nations,
Nationalities and Peoples
(SNNP) Regional State. The
Sheka forest covers a
unique bio-geographic unit
extending from cold and
very wet highlands
bordering Illubabor zone of
Oromia regional state and
Kafa zone to hot lowland
areas bordering Gambella
regional state and the
Bench-Maji zone. The whole
area is very diverse, with
contrasting landscape
elements, habitats and
cultural practices.
The Sheka forest is adopted
to be a biosphere reserve
because it fulfills the three
functions of biosphere
reserve-namely the
conservation, development
and logistics support
functions to the desired
level. In terms of the
conservation function, the
forest contributes to the
conservation of landscapes,
ecosystems, species and
genetic variation.
The Sheka forest constitutes
one of the few remaining
afromontane forest
vegetation in Ethiopia.
As such it is highly regarded
as important for
conservation of the
Afromontane forest
vegetation types, especially
the Afromontane Rainforest
and alpine bamboo thickets.
Furthermore, the forest of
Sheka is important for the
role it plays in protection of
watersheds that have local
and international
significance in the Nile and
Omo-Ghibe/ Lake Turkana
Basins. It is the source of
major rivers like Baro and
Akobo rivers, the main
tributaries of the White
Nile, Gojeb, the main
tributary of Omo from the
southwestern highlands of
Ethiopia.
It is also highly regarded for
conservation of
biodiversity, flood and
erosion control, and carbon-
sequestration to mitigate
the effects of climate
change.
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MELCA Newsletter Volume 1 No. 5 August 2012
The forest is rich in both
plant and animal species.
There are over 300 higher
plants, 50 mammals, 200
birds, and 20 amphibian
species, occurring in all
habitats. Out of these, at
least 55 plants, and 10 birds
are endemic to Ethiopia.
There are also over 38
threatened species (IUCN
Red list) in the area, which
include 5 bird, 3 mammals
and 30 plant species. It is an
important gene pool for
Ensete (sometines called
‘false banana’), Arabica
coffee and other plant
species important as food,
agricultural and forestry
purposes.
The forest’s
development/economic
function is also vital. The
Shekacho people earn most
of their cash income from
honey and spices produced
in dense forest. The
traditional agricultural
practice is also ecologically
sustainable, while fulfilling
the social and economic
needs of the local
population.
There is also a growing
trend of coffee production
by the highlanders, by
planting coffee in degraded
forest areas. Since coffee is
shade-loving crop,
enrichment planting of
trees is also conducted,
thereby contributing to
ecological sustainability
through rehabilitation
degraded forest areas. The
area also has a good
potential for eco-tourism,
with its diverse natural and
cultural landscape, tropical
forest, crater lakes,
waterfalls and cultural
festivals.
The fact that the forest has a
great potential as a
demonstration site for
environmental education
and the link between
culture and biodiversity or
cultural biodiversity
explains its function in
logistical support. Currently
MELCA-Ethiopia is
implementing an
environmental education
program called SEGNI
(Social Empowerment
through Group Nature
Interaction) in the forest. As
related to this, UNESCO has
also recognized the Sheka
Biosphere Reserve to serve
as a training center for a
transfer of cultural and
traditional ecological
knowledge from the old to
the new generation. And in
the near future, the forest
has a great potential to
serve as biological field
station for the newly
established universities in
the area, especially for
Mizan-Teppi University,
located in the proposed
biosphere reserve, and
Metu University located at
60 km away in Illubabor
zone of Oromia state.
The Sheka Forest Biosphere
reserve has a total area of
238,750 hectares. Out of
this total area 55, 255
hectares (23.14%), 76,395
hectares (30%) and
107,100 hectares (44.86%)
are designated as core zone,
buffer zone and transitional
zone respectively.
The core zone is an area
devoted to long-term
protection of the natural
forest. It is composed of
intact natural high forest,
cultural forests (Kobo),
sacred forests, wetlands and
bamboo tickets. Hence it is
an area to be protected
from human interference
except for traditional non-
timber uses such as
traditional beekeeping, wild
spices and medicinal plants
collection, ritual ceremonies
as well as controlled eco-
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MELCA Newsletter Volume 1 No. 5 August 2012
tourism using some routes,
research, monitoring, and
trainings.
The buffer zone on the
other hand is an area
devoted for both
conservation and use
functions.
All use functions except
logging, new permanent
settlements, and high
impact investments like
monoculture plantation,
intensive agriculture and
hunting are allowed in this
area.
And lastly the transitional
area is a development zone
where all activities for
livelihood of the local
community take place. Here,
all kinds of traditional and
modern agriculture based
sustainable land
management can be
undertaken.
MELCA-Ethiopia has played
a pivotal role in the
coordination of the Sheka
forest biosphere reserve
nomination based on the
demand of the Sheka
community and the local
government administrative
organs.
The 11th Hour
Looking Back to World Environment Day-2012
The global concern
regarding environmental
degradation and the
associated climate change
has increased especially
during the past three to four
decades. Accordingly, the
global community is
engaged in the arrangement
of various measures meant
for mitigation of the
situation. Among these is
the world environment day
being celebrated annually at
international level.
The objectives of the
celebration, in general, are
to raise the awareness of
participants of the event
regarding environmental
issues and enable them to
realize their role in support
for a healthy ecosystem and
sustainable development.
This year, on the 24th
World Environment Day, a
fair on seed and seedlings
has been organized from 5-
11, June 2012 at Ethio-Cuba
Friendship Park in Addis
Abeba. MELCA-Ethiopia, in
collaboration with Institute
of Biodiversity
Conservation (IBC), Ethio-
Organic Seed Action (EOSA),
and Institute for Sustainable
Development (ISD) has
participated in the fair by
organizing different events
and releasing publications
and brochures with a focus
on farmers’ seed varieties.
The most impressive part of
the seed and seedling fair
was the exhibition of seed
arts presented by MELCA
and its SEGNI club member
students from schools
around MELCA’s Suba-
Sebeta project area.
The seed mosaics showed
the traditions, customs and
socio-economic activities of
the students’ community.
Different types of
indigenous seeds were used
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MELCA Newsletter Volume 1 No. 5 August 2012
for the production of these
beautiful mosaics.
Among the seed arts was
one mosaic entitled with
“11�� ���”, which is
Amharic and means “The
11th hour”. Its message is
easy to understand: We are
at the 11th hour in terms of
the erosion of farmers’ seed
varieties and the decline of
associated traditional
knowledge and it is high
time that we should start to
act to reverse the situation.
Generally the schools came
with amazingly creative and
beautiful mosaics of all sorts
of things done with farmer’s
varieties of seeds. Before
the exhibition there was a
two-minute statement for
Radio, which has been
published as ‘five reasons
for protecting our seeds’.
This was an extremely
useful move. Short half page
statements but punchy.
They are not one or two
sentences but mini
explanations. Some were
designed to motivate
nationalism such as a
statement ‘Ethiopia is one of
the nine countries famous
for seed diversity’
others to provide an
economic argument ‘our
seeds will give us a
competitive edge on the
world market as they are
unique’; others to give sense
to their value in times of
climate change ‘our seeds
will give us an option in
times of climate change’.
The five themes were
transmitted through radio
for 10 days. Journalists also
used them extensively.
There was also a one-hour
Radio talk show for three
days. Most of the leading
seed experts in Ethiopia,
including Dr. Regassa, Dr.
Melaku, Dr. Bayush, Dr.
Gemedew (head of the
Institute for Biodiversity
Conservation), Dr. Alganesh
and a very knowledgeable
farmer, coming from a
group who has succeeded in
recuperating their seeds,
came to the studio to open
discussion with the public.
The farmer was a star. Very
eloquent and sharp! One
farmer, for example, asked
him how to take poison out
of the soil. He was talking
about agricultural
chemicals. He said ‘you can
do that with legumes. You
have to do that for at least
two years.’ He said he does
not advice stopping using
artificial fertilizers
altogether. It has to be done
gradually. He advised the
farmer to plant his own
seeds, even using a piece of
his land if forced to plant
only improved varieties.
The discussion on seed
issues and agro-biodiversity
was further reinforced by a
one-day debate organized
as a side event at the
exhibition site. Every event
pointed at one direction-
that there is a national
consensus regarding
conservation of farmers’
seed varieties and maintain
diversity on our farms. Yet
the challenges from the
push for industrial
agriculture backed by big
western corporations like
Monsanto remain to be
consciously dealt with.
As has already been said,
the seed arts presented on
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MELCA Newsletter Volume 1 No. 5 August 2012
the seed exhibition by
SEGNI club member
students from schools
around MELCA’s Suba-
Sebeta project area were
the most exciting ones.
Thousands of people
flocked to see their art and
comment. There were some
who said ‘Are you playing
with seeds while life is so
expensive!’ The students
laugh and say ‘We are doing
this to show you how we
are loosing these seeds and
how it is important for you
to know and join the work
for their conservation so
that you keep on eating in
the future.’ The majority
was so appreciative and
showered the students and
teachers with praises and
encouragements. A woman,
one of the visitors to the
exhibition, who was much
impressed by the seed arts
insisted that this exhibition
should be taken to the
Agricultural Exhibition
organized by the Addis
Ababa Chamber of
Commerce from 14-18 June
2012 at Addis Ababa
Exhibition center.
The woman’s
recommendation was
welcomed and the seed arts
by the students were
exhibited at the fifth
industrial agriculture
exhibit entitled AGRIFEX V.
The seed art exhibition,
surrounded by huge
commercial agriculture
exhibits run by Chinese,
Indian, Egyptian and
Ethiopian investors, looks
small, yet, unique and
attractive. A mid the seed
arts, there was also a
banner which says ‘our
seeds are our environment,
culture and resilience. Let
us protect them’. Hence, it
called the attention of
thousands of visitors who
saw something different
among the many similar.
Almost every visitor, who
casted eyes on the seed arts,
expressed his/her
unreserved appreciation for
the inspiring arts and the
idea behind.
Just a week after the closing
of the industrial agriculture
exhibit, the Addis Ababa
Chamber of Commerce and
Sectoral Associations
(AACCSA) announced the
seed art exhibition,
presented by the students,
as one of the three best
stand award winners.
Extracting lessons from this
remarkable experience,
MELCA-Ethiopia and the
Institute of Biodiversity
Conservation (IBC), Ethio-
Organic Seed Action (EOSA)
and Institute for Sustainable
Development (ISD) are
planning to come together
and ponder on what has
been done fine and what
should be added or
improved to chart the
future.
The organizations are also
planning to start a big
coalition on bio-cultural
diversity in Ethiopia.
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MELCA Newsletter Volume 1 No. 5 August 2012
Community Land Reclamation for the common benefit
In 2008 MELCA gave a para-
legal training on
environmental laws and
cultural and human rights
for 35 community members
including youth, women and
clan leaders in Masha
woreda of Sheka Zone. The
training was meant to
enhance the awareness of
these members of the
community regarding their
cultural, environmental and
human rights and demand
them accordingly.
These members of the
community reached and
shared the idea they got
from the training with
about 17, 930 fellow
community members.
Following these, MELCA
organized training on
national and international
environmental laws, culture
and human right for law
enforcement and justice
organs as well as those in
the administrative position
of Masha Woreda. The
purpose of this training was
to enlighten these organs
with national and
international laws dealing
with environmental issues,
cultural rights and make
them aware of the
challenges relating to the
implementation of the
environmental impact
assessment law of the
country.
Further more consultation
meetings with the local
government organs
continued on the value of
conserving the forest of
Sheka the different
strategies that can be
implemented to that end.
Triggered by these
consecutive trainings and
consultative meetings, the
community of Masha
Woreda demanded the
forestland granted to East
Africa Group for investment
in tea plantation should be
reversed as it has adverse
effect on the forest. This
idea of the community was
supported by the local
government organs and
resulted in the stopping of
expansion of the tea
plantation.
The East African Group was
originally given 3435
hectares of forestland for
investment in tea
plantation. By the time the
community demanded
reversal of the investment
agreement the group has
already cleared about 1000
hectares of forestland and
planted tea on it. So, the
group was ordered by the
relevant government organ
to restrict its investment to
the land it has already
planted and not to do any
more expansion.
Accordingly, for over five
years now, the company is
producing tea from the land
it has cultivated before the
community demanded its
expulsion from the area.
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MELCA Newsletter Volume 1 No. 5 August 2012
MELCA-Ethiopia Held its Annual General Meeting
MELCA-Ethiopia has
conducted its annual
general meeting on the
10th of March 2012 at
Harambe Hotel in Addis
Ababa.
Dr Melaku Werede,
chairman of MELCA’s Board
of Directors, made a
welcome speech on the
meeting. After extending his
welcome address to all
members and invited
guests, Dr. Melaku stated
that the erosion of
biodiversity all over the
world has been high on the
global agenda for the past
several decades. He said, “in
this regard Ethiopia is no
different and so the issue is
worrying especially for
those of us who have been
working on the issue
through out our lives.
Currently, as far as I know,
there are only a few non-
governmental organizations
working on the
conservation of
biodiversity. MELCA is one
of those few organizations
endeavoring for
conservation of not only the
biodiversity but also related
cultural values of local
communities. We are seeing
signs that the works of
these organizations are
becoming fruitful. So all of
us should support them in
any way we can.”
Dr. Melaku also added that
he hopes MELCA’s
performance report of the
year 2011 will go some
steps above the previous
years and the plan for the
year 2012 will go even
further. Then he called up
members to discuss on the
reports and future plan in
detail and forward
constructive comments.
On the meeting, MELCA’s
Director Ato Million Belay
presented the overall
performance report and the
achievements gained in the
year 2011.
Ato Million’s report
explained performances in
all the six program areas
that MELCA applies at its
three project areas, namely
Bale, Suba-Sebeta and Sheka
and the corresponding
achievements gained in
each of the program areas.
His report focused on the
results obtained rather than
the activities done. In
addition beneficiaries and
partners representing the
local government organs,
from Suba-Sebeta project
area, witnessed the
achievements gained in
each of the program areas.
Ato million also presented
action plan for
implementation in the year
2012. He stated that the
budget allocated for
implementation of actions
in 2012 exceeds that
allocated for last year by
30%.
A welcome address by Dr.
Melaku
Ato Million reporting to the
assembly
Beneficiaries testifying about
the projects
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MELCA Newsletter Volume 1 No. 5 August 2012
An independent external
auditing firm has also
presented financial report
of the year 2011. A
representative of the
auditing firm reported that
the auditing has been done
in accordance with
internationally accepted
auditing principles and no
flaw has been found in the
financial utilization of
MELCA.
The assembly has approved
the activity and financial
report of 2011 and the 2012
action plan unanimously.
Finally, the assembly has
discussed on membership
issues and passed decisions.
Accordingly, five new
applicants for membership
has been accepted by the
assembly, while nineteen
members, who could not
properly discharge their
membership obligations for
at least the past three years,
for various reasons, have
been removed from
membership.