This document discusses forest fires in Ethiopia. It provides historical background on forest fires in Ethiopia and their causes, which are mostly human-made. It outlines several challenges related to forest fire management, including lack of resources, data, and organized prevention/control systems. Efforts made to address fires include establishing management structures, awareness campaigns, and community mobilization. Moving forward, it recommends improved policies, resources, participation, and research to better prevent and manage forest fires.

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FDRE, ENVIRONMENT, FOREST
& CLIMATE CHANGE
COMMISSION

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1. Introduction
1.1. historical background
2. The what of fire
3. The Basics of Wildfire
4. Causes of forest fire in Ethiopia
5. Challenges
6. Efforts made
6.1. preventive actions
6.2. protective actions
7. Possible way forward
8. Conclusion
Presentation Outlines

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 Ethiopia is one of the world’s
fastest-growing populations and
is the second most populous
country in Africa;
 The country is experiencing high
levels of economic growth;
 At the same time, Ethiopia
continues to face major challenges
(food insecurity, cyclical
disasters, population pressure,
unemployment, disease & NR
degradation /specially, forests/);
1. Introduction
1.1. Historical Background

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 The susceptibility of forest fire in Ethiopia is higher
due to its geographical location;
 The extent of forest fire damage is so huge in the
country, and not even measured and recorded;
 However, nationally there is only limited initiatives
on the prevention and control of forest fire.
Historical Background…

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Statistical data on fire are missing i.e.
“no systematic & complete record of forest
fire regimes & their impacts well
addressed”;
absence of forest fire policies, laws and
directives;
Hence, no single wild land fire
management plan in the country.
Historical Background…

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 Ethiopian farmers have been
using fire as a means of production
or as a farming tool for a long
time;
 Yodit/Gudit (849-897 A.C.):
“ordered her army and the local people
to set fire to forests stretching from
Tigray to Gonder & Wello in
suspected hiding grounds for the
soldiers of Emperor Dilnaad”;
o Grange Mohamed (1527-1542 A.C.):
“clear and burn all the forests
stretching from the eastern lowlands
to the central highlands”;
o In 1984 fire damaged~ 308,200 ha
of forests;
Historical Background…

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 In 2009 over 300,000 ha natural forests
were damaged by wildfires;
 Recently in 2018 Kefa biosphere reserve &
in 2019 Bale Mountain and Simen
Mountain National Parks were amongst
those damaged by forest fire;
 Despite all these facts, Ethiopia is not yet
had well organized systems that enable to
tackle this problem;
Historical Background…

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 Ethiopia occupies the interior of the Eastern Horn of
Africa stretching b/n 3°N & 15°N latitude & 33°E & 48°E,
with a total area of 1.13 million km2;
 Ethiopia is a country of great geographical diversity
with high & rugged mountains, flat topped plateau &
deep gorges, incised river valleys & rolling plains;
 Erosion, volcanic eruptions, drought, wild fire, floods
are some of the disasters;
 Altitudes range: Dalol 110m bsl-Ras Dejen 4620m asl.
Locational background

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 The climate of Ethiopia is classified into three types
based on the annual and monthly means of
temperature & rainfall as well as on seasonal
changes of rainfall and types of native vegetation
associated with them as Dry, Tropical, Temperate
rainy climate types which are further subdivided
into three dega, weynadega, kola
Climate (let browse more)

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 Fire is the visible effect of the process of
combustion
 It occurs b/n oxygen in the air & some sort
of fuel.
 The fuel must be heated to its ignition
temperature for combustion to occur.
 The reaction will keep going as long as
there is enough heat, fuel & oxygen.
 Combustion is when fuel reacts with
oxygen to release heat energy.
 Combustion can be slow or fast depending
on the amount of oxygen available.
2. The what part…
fire triangle

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One important task for forest mgt is
the protection of the forest resource
base;
Fire is often the most dangerous of
many sources affect the forest;
is a real threat for the people living
inside or adjacent to the forest area.
 Each year 1000s of people lose their
homes due to wildfires, & 100s of
people die in these accidents; +++10s
of 1000s of domestic animals perish.
3. The Basics of Wildfire

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 According to (Jurvélius, 2011); it is estimated
that every year:
o 10 to 15m ha of boreal or temperate forest
burn.
o 20 to 40m ha of tropical rain forest burn.
o 500 to 1,000m ha of tropical & subtropical
savannahs, woodlands & open forests burn.
o >90% of all this burning is caused by human
activity.
Therefore, it is quite clear that fire prevention
and control should receive top priority among
forest management activities.
3. The Basics of Wildfire…

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 To get road access by villagers;
 To get a new flush of grass after rains by
burning dry grass in dry weather;
 Scaring wild animals from entering the
villages;
 To destroy the stumps of illicitly cut
trees in the forest areas.
 Traditional Honey collection
 Illegal settlement
 For clearing agricultural land
 Deliberate firing of forest area
 Improper Charcoaling activities
4. Causes of forest fire in
Ethiopia(Mostly Man Made)

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 Lack of skilled human power &
insufficient financial resources;
 Lack of knowledge & technologies for
fire prevention/control or rehabilitation
of forest areas affected by fire;
 Lack of demarcation of forest areas for
immediate action to be taken
 Insufficient &/or lack of researches
held on forest fire;
 Lack of mechanisms to monitor forests
& forecast possible fire risks
5. Challenges

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 Lack of linkage /networking at various levels;
 Lack of forest mgt plan
 Lack of land use policy
 Lack of equipped & trained forest fire fighting
brigade
 Lack of law enforcement
 Lack of infrastructures for fire prevention
 Lack of inter regional coordination
 Lack of safety materials & controlling equipment's
Challenges…

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 Absence of an adequate fire fighting
institution for fire suppression;
 Absence of trained & equipped
personnel for fire fighting;
 Weak institutional arrangements at
all levels to monitor all forested
areas & implement preventive
measures;
Challenges…

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 Absence of reliable statistical data on occurrence of
wildfires, areas burned & losses are not available;
 Lack of systematic reporting on forest fire & no data
permitting any analysis of causes, risks & the extent of
damage for wildfire;
 There is no efficient communication system to transmit
the information to the appropriate organ;
Challenges…

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 Absence of systematic fire mgt structure at any level
except forest fire control committees w/c’t
operational mainly due to limited finance;
 Lack of incentive for efficient forest mgt &
conservation w/c leads to no interest to conserve
forests & env’t in general;
 Lack of appropriate land use & forest policies with
functional legislation;
Challenges…

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 Inappropriate & ineffective structure as well as
shortage of physical, human & financial resources;
 Lack of organized system both at federal & regional
level for preventing & controlling forest fire;
 Lack of sufficient research on forest fire;
Challenges…

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 Lack of appropriate knowledge & technologies for
fire prevention/control or rehabilitation of forest
areas affected by fire;
 Insufficient control of the ever-increasing human
population;
 Poor overall economic performance & poverty;
Challenges…

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6.1. Preventive Actions
 Structure/directorate working on forest fire has been set in
place at national level (within the commission);
 Forest fire manual prevention & protection has been
developed;
 Awareness creation by following global forest fire watch
report alert & awaring the staffs
 Supporting region by checklist in order to minimize risk.
6. Efforts made

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 Training for d/t religious bodies on building
common perception on the prevention of forest fire;
 ToT for regional staffs to raise motivation &
participation of local community on the prevention
of forest fire;
 Prepare & disseminate d/t broachers & leaflets &
using mass medias for alerting the wider
communities;
Preventive Actions…

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As we don’t yet have trained crew or
organization for fire fighting in our
country:
o We have been tried to mobilize the
wider community members to fight the
fire.
o We have played a coordination and
mobilization of resource and request a
support (helicopter) to safe the
protected areas (SMNP)
6.2. Protective Actions
(fire Suppression)

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 We have also dealt with other countries (Ezrael
forest fire fighting team) for technical support
 Afforestation was made via mass mobilization
 Hence, 25ha of land are planted as FLR option
within Semen Mountain National Park;
also
 The Bale Mountain National Park was on
restoration since it was protected;
Efforts made…

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Efforts made…
 Afforestation program
via mass mobilization
…

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Efforts made…

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Efforts made…

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 Minimize migration to forests & properly address those
already settled inside forests with their active
participation in the decision making;
 Appropriate benefit sharing mechanisms to the local
communities dependent on the forest;
 Livelihood enhancement options should be considered;
 Create frequent awareness about forest fire at all
levels;
 Researches should be held & appropriate technologies
should be generated to minimize the problem;
7. Possible way forward

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 Appropriate land-use & forest policy with functional
legislation should be in place;
 Improve the present organizational set-up
i.e. “we have to have clear organ w/c dealt with
the forestry sector with adequate trained
manpower, financial & logistical resources”.
 Organize well-trained, well-equipped & financially
backed stand-by Fire
Possible way forward…

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 Fire Brigades should be organized care fully & well
equipped
 Staying alert during the dry season and follow carefully
the movements of local people in the forests, especially
those that own traditional beehives in the forests.
 Fire mgt plan that reckons fire as an integral part of
entire forest protection system should be in place;
Possible way forward…

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 Fire mgt plan can be highly successful if
& only if it:
o ensure people’s participation;
o promote indigenous knowledge;
o emphasize preventive measures and
o Enhance multi-stakeholders’
networking.
Possible way forward…

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 to safeguard forest & biological resources in the
region by reducing fire damages via mobilizing:
 GOs, NGOs, Private Sector & Civil Societies.
o With the aim of assessing the status,
damages & impacts of forest fire so as to
come up with possible solutions.
Possible way forward…

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 The foregoing discussions indicate that fire can be both
beneficial and harmful to forest & woodland resources;
 To use fire beneficially, prevent its harmful effects &/or
control suddenly out-breaking fires, knowledge about fire &
its behavior, skill of fighting fire should be in place;
 Appropriate policy, legislative & institutional arrangements
for forest fire management including permanently
established units or bodies at all levels that are
responsible for forest fire management is a must,
8. Conclusion

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 Generally,
o adequate budget;
o qualified personnel & the necessary physical facilities;
o Strong fire information, mgt & dissemination
including provision for early warning mechanisms,
ways of mobilizing & coordinating rural & urban
communities in the management of forest fire as well
as competent research on fire are mandatory in order
to safe our planet & our forests as well.
Conclusion …

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Thank you for your Attention!
If we
take care
of the
Earth,
the Earth
will take
care of
us;
Otherwise…