THE PROGRAMME► Habitat Protection ► Community Conservation

Guassa-Menz community conservation
Prepared by Stuart Williams & Zelealam Teferra, April 2005

The Guassa area of Menz is the most important area for the Ethiopian wolf in northern Ethiopia. Currently the area has no formal protected area status. However, it is remarkable for the unique system of natural resource management, known locally as `Qero', that arose in 17th century. It arose under land tenure systems that were based on the agreed division of the land and which were supported by the authority of the Ethiopian Orthodox church, a powerful component of this ancient society. The Qero system ensured equitable use of essential natural resources among the user community. This was achieved through the establishment of by-laws created by the people themselves.

The natural resources -thatching grass, fuelwood and grazing for livestock- underpin the livelihood security of the community: the resources are harvested during hardship periods and, therefore, represent a survival or coping strategy (picture: 'gassa' grass in the local market). By regulating exploitation, the system has also protected the biodiversity of the Guassa-Menz area, which, as Afroalpine ecosystem, harbours the majority of the fauna and flora that is endemic to Ethiopia.

The Qero system declined in 1975 with land tenure reform, the Agrarian Reform, introduced under the socialist regime that came to power in the revolution of 1974. During this period, when it became apparent that the resource management system was declining, the community responded by establishing the Guassa Committee. Despite this apparent resilience, the system has been floundering.

In addition to the weakening of the traditional system, over the past few years, the area has come under threat and pressure, primarily from commercial operators that wish to `lease' the land or to be granted a concession for sheep production. If granted, this would not only threaten the livelihoods of the many people dependent on and involved in the natural resource harvesting but commercial sheep farming would probably not be perceived to be compatible to conserving a population of Ethiopian wolves.

Led by Dr Zelealem Tefera, the EWCP has been working, successfully, to revive, strengthen and consolidate this natural resource management system along traditional lines. As such, the programme is assisting to protect a system that is pivotal to the livelihood security of the local community and critical for the conservation of the biodiversity of the ecosystem.

We held a workshop in Mahal Meda in October 2002. The majority of the attendees were people from the local communities surrounding the Guassa area. In addition, the workshop was attended by authorities from the Amhara government and by representatives from the federal government and NGOs. The workshop resulted in a group, led by the EWCP, being given the mandate to development a draft management plan for the area. The EWCP has established a woreda (district) committee composed of the woreda Administration, Rural Development Office, Agriculture Office, Environmental Protection & Land Use Authority, police, representatives of 8 farmers association and a representative from EWCP.

Because of the drought that has afflicted much of Ethiopia for the past fifteen months, many local people wished to graze livestock in the area. Previously this was restricted. The situation escalated and resulted in a standoff between various groups of people. On 11 May 2003, facilitated by the EWCP, local communities met to discuss the problems. This meeting ended with the resolution that the area will not be used by people, whether for grazing, the collection of fuelwood or the collection of thatching grass, for the forthcoming four years.

The EWCP is currently monitoring the effectiveness of this protection and working to examine how the communities cope with the absence of what was a survival strategy for them. The management plan if now complete. Working with the committee, the EWCP has demarcated the boundary of the Guassa area and prepared by-laws that are accepted by all user communities of the area. The management plan needs to be agreed upon by the local community, and then ratified by the regional government. If the management plan is ratified, the area would therefore be a regionally recognised and designated protected area.