The challenge of Desertification & The efforts Under taking to - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

By Futsum Hagos Director of Wildlife conservation Forestry and wildife Authority

The challenge of Desertification

&

The efforts Under taking to restore the ecosystem in Eritrea

➢ Content: ➢ Introduction ➢ Drivers of desertification and degradation ➢ Effects on the ecosystems and people ➢ Efforts being undertaken ➢ Promising results ➢ Conclusion

The State of Eritrea

Trend of Eritrean Forest status

30 11 5 0.43 10 20 30 40 1891 1952 1960 1986 year Percent of forest cover

Drivers of Land degradation

Traditional houses and collection of fire wood

Deforestation + Invasive spp+ erosion + overgrazing

Mining is becoming a growing threat

Effects of Land degradation

Range lands are loosing their meaning

Shade is becoming an expensive commodity

land is exposed to sever soil and wind erosion

Efforts undertaken

Public participation in restoration

Relentless efforts to tackle desertification

Area closure

• About 1,000,000

hectare of land is under closure since 1992.

• More than 100

million seedling had been planted

• About 80,000

hectare of land has been treated

School Based Afforestation

Improved Traditional Stove Currently more than 250,000 efficient stoves are in use

Integrated plantation indigenous with exotic spp is appearing viable

Promising results

a change from degraded to rehabilitated landscape within a decade

Degraded & Hillside Terracing (1997) Rehabilitated & Planted (2007)

Exemplary Restored site through establishment of PA

Scenery of the Green belt protected area

capturing of a drop of water

Revival of Biodiversity

25

Existence of African wild ass appearing promising

Thanks to habitat enrichment, Avifauna are bouncing

➢ Conclusion: ➢ So far considerable attempts were made ➢ However, desertification is threatening at

an alarming rate

➢ therefore we need to face this reality & act

accordingly in order to sustain the environment up on which we entirely depend.

Thank you