Stunning vistas. Escarpments dropping down into a valley below. Gelada monkeys
grazing peacefully at altitudes of 3,600 m (about 11,800 ft.). Ethiopia’s Simien
Mountains National Park offers a taste of Africa that’s a bit different from the
stereotypical East African savanna experience.
Even its wildlife is not what you might expect. Rather than the elephant and the lion,
here, you’ll encounter the Walia ibex, an endangered goat found only in the Simien
Mountains; the Ethiopian wolf, the world’s most endangered carnivore; and nearly
20 other endangered species. More than 50 bird species are said to live in the
Simiens, including the near-threatened lammergeyer, also known as the bearded
vulture.
The biodiversity here is of such significance that Simien Mountains National Park
was named a World Heritage site by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) in 1978.
Unfortunately, this national park shares one unfortunate characteristic with many of
Africa’s protected areas: It’s under threat. According to the UNESCO World Heritage
listing, 80 percent of the park was “under human use of one form or another” when
it was named a World Heritage Site. In 1996, it was moved to the list of World
Heritage Sites in Danger. Today, human encroachment continues, with livestock
grazing a particular concern in this stunning landscape.
Where land, people and wildlife all benefit
To conserve such a unique and vital ecosystem, AWF turned to its signature
strategy: the cluster approach.
This method is as it sounds: Rather than implementing a single conservation project,
we instead group a variety of interventions in the same landscape. We target not
only specific wildlife protection efforts or ecosystem restoration but—knowing that
people are a key conservation threat as well as a key player in resolving those
threats—make sure to incorporate solutions that address the intersection of
wildlife, land and people. That means implementing at interventions that address
livelihood or educational needs, for these have attendant benefits on conservation.
By working in this manner, we’re addressing threats from a multitude of angles and
ensuring that conservation is holistic and integrated. It’s a strategy we’ve
implemented, to great success, across the continent.
In the Simiens, our cluster of projects includes supporting the wildlife authority,
engaging the local community, protecting wildlife in the park, building the tourism
infrastructure in and around the park, helping to develop the area’s economy and
even providing education to the next generation of conservationists. For example:
Supporting the wildlife authority. AWF has partnered with the Ethiopian Wildlife
Conservation Authority (EWCA) to collaboratively manage the national park. We
have also provided gear and equipment to EWCA, from rain parkas and boots to GPS
equipment.
Engaging with communities. Surveys have found that about 63 percent of the
grassland in the park is intensively grazed by livestock. To address this issue, AWF
and EWCA have worked with the local community to develop a strategy that lessens
some of those grazing pressures within the park. Recently, the community
voluntarily agreed to designate 70 percent of the park as a no-grazing zone.
Protecting endangered species. Through our Species Protection Grants program,
AWF has provided funding support to the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme.
The funding allows this local NGO partner of AWF to educate community members
about the Ethiopian wolf and recruit people to become wolf ambassadors that help
monitor wolf activity. The program also provides rabies vaccinations for
domesticated dogs to prevent disease outbreaks from spreading to the wolves.
Investing in tourism. Through our impact-investing subsidiary, African Wildlife
Capital, AWF has provided financing to two tourism-oriented enterprises in the
area. African Wildlife Capital invested in Village Ways lodges, a social enterprise
company that is working with communities outside Simien Mountains National Park
to build small traditional guesthouses that allows tourists to experience a uniquely
Ethiopian experience. African Wildlife Capital also provided investment to Limalimo
Lodge, a higher-end lodge that offers guests stunning views and a comfortable
experience within the park. Through these lodges, which are employing local staff,
we are helping to enhance economic development in the area.
What’s more, AWF has developed a tourism plan for the park for EWCA and
provided training for the trekking guides that work in the park. The trainings allow
the guides to improve their skills and learn how best to accommodate the needs of
the Western tourists that visit the park.
Educating the younger generation. Africa’s rural communities, such as those
living on the outskirts of Simien Mountains National Park, often get left behind in
terms of education, with the greatest resources typically devoted to urban areas.
Through our Classroom Africa program, AWF has rebuilt Adisge Primary School just
outside the park and will bring in teacher training opportunities to improve upon
the quality of instruction in this remote school. The Classroom Africa program will
also encourage the development of wildlife clubs and other ways to emphasize the
importance of conservation.
Combined, these interventions multiply our conservation effort and impact. The
result is an improved landscape where both people and wildlife are faring better.