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Vol. 5, No. 2, 2022 

www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/ees 

ISSN 2578-1359 (Print)   ISSN 2578-1367 (Online) 

1 

Original Paper 

Opportunities and Challenges of Forest Development in 

Ethiopia 

Kitessa Gemechu Beleta
1 

1
 Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Forest and Range Land Plants Biodiversity Directorate, Addis Ababa, 

Ethiopia 

 

Received: February 12, 2022      Accepted: February 24, 2022     Online Published: July 5, 2022 

doi:10.22158/ees.v5n2p1                    URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/ees.v5n2p1 

   

Abstract 

Forests are essential for life on earth. They are not really simply the green cover; we require 

beautifying the earth. This research review aimed to overview the forest development opportunities and 

the challenges for forest development in Ethiopia. Published documents, reports from governments and 

non-governmental organizations on collective forest management were found via keyword searches in 

relevant literature data banks were used as data source materials. The global forest is declining at a 

rate of 13 million ha in each year. Tropical forest decline is particularly severe in Africa, Brazil and 

Indonesia. For example, Africa has lost around 3.4 million ha per year between 2000 and 2010. 

Ethiopia is thought to be losing 140,000 ha per year. Deforestation, which is occurring at an alarming 

rate, is one of such problems and a key factor challenging forest development. Deforestation, 

agricultural expansion and lack of strong coordinating forestry institutions are some of the challenges 

for forest development in Ethiopia. The causes of deforestation and forest degradation are dynamics, 

complex, and vary from place to place. There are several reasons for the depletion of forest resources, 

the following are considered major: Increases in population and consequent increases in the demand 

for agricultural land, settlements around forest areas, encroachments, forest fires, ranges of political, 

cultural, and socio-economic factors. Technical advances in energy efficiency are critical for 

developing countries like Ethiopia whose populations depend primarily on biomass fuels and Reduce 

demand for fuelwood via the dissemination and usage of fuel-efficient stoves and/or alternative-fuel 

cooking and the collaboration of researchers, educators, and developmental extensions are needed to 

rehabilitate the degraded forest land. 

Keywords 

Deforestation, Forest degradation, Forests, Forest Coverage 

 



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1. Introduction 

Deforestation and forest degradation are the biggest threats to forests worldwide. Deforestation occurs 

when forests are converted into non-forest uses, such as agriculture and road construction. Forest 

degradation occurs when forest ecosystems lose their capacity to provide important goods and services 

to people and nature. Over half of the tropical forests have been destroyed since 1960s, and every 

second, more than one hectare of tropical forests is destroyed because of natural and man-made 

activities (Jeffrey, 1991).  

Forests display a range of structures and composition rising from the interplay between a wide range of 

altitudinal, climatic, soil environments, and different interactions between humans. Forest is home for 

many living organisms; life in forests is governed by factors like air, water, and sunlight (EPCC, 2015). 

There are a variety of plants available in most forests: herbs, shrubs, and trees depending upon the 

climate of the region. Plants make their food by the process of photosynthesis and animals depend on 

plants and other animals for their food. Plants also depend on animals for processes like pollination and 

seed dispersal. Trees present in the forests hold the soil particles strongly with the roots and prevent them 

from erosion. It is not possible; to sum up, the importance of forests in just a few words (Douglass and 

Goodwin, 1980).  

 

2. Material and Methods 

Published documents, reports from governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on 

collective forest management were found via keyword searches in relevant literature data banks were 

used as data source materials. Google, Google Scholar, Research Gate were used to undertake the 

literature search as a result, many articles, documents, book chapters and grey literatures such as 

conference papers, working papers, and reports in institutional series were obtained. 

 

3. Some Definition and Concept of Forests  

Based on management goals, land use, type of flora, composition, altitude, and other factors, the 

definition of the word “forest” differs from region to region and country to country. According to the 

FAO (2001), a forest is defined as land with a tree crown cover (equivalent stocking level) of more 

than 10% and an area of more than 0.5 ha, with trees reaching a minimum height of 5 meters at 

maturity. According to FAO (2006), forests have a minimum land area of 0.05-1 hectare, a tree crown 

covering more than 10-30% of the surface area, and a mature tree height of 2-5 meters. 

A forest, according to FAO (2015), is defined as land with trees taller than 5 meters, a canopy cover of 

more than 10%, it excludes land that is primarily used for agriculture or urban development, included 

areas with young trees that have not yet reached a canopy cover of at least 10%; it also includes places 

that have become temporarily unhinged as a result of clear-cutting as part of a forest management 

technique or natural calamities, but are projected to rebound within 5 years. 

 



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Taking into account the wide range of definitions used around the world and the need for global efforts 

to mitigate the negative effects of deforestation and climate change, international organizations such as 

the FAO and the UNFCCC developed some common and workable definitions based on certain 

parameters such as crown cover, area, and tree height as threshold values, and they are now widely 

used for assessing forest area, growing stock, and afforestation.  

3.1 Status of Forest Resources, Opportunities, and Challenges in Global Context 

According to (FAO, 2015), the rate of global forest loss is decreasing; in the 1990s, the net loss of 

forest (natural and planted) was -0.18%, as indicated in (Table 1). The net loss of forest was reduced to 

-0.08% between 2010 and 2015; the total area of planted forest has increased by over 110 million ha, 

covering approximately 7% of the world’s forest area. 

 

Table1. Global Forest Area Change (1990-2015) 

Year Forest (000 ha) Annual change (000 ha) Annualized change References 

1990 4,128,269   FAO 2015 

2000 4,055,602 -7,267 -0.18  

2005 4,032,743 -4,572 -0.11  

2010 4,015,673 -3,414 -0.08  

2015 3,999,134 -3,308 -0.08  

 

A global survey estimates that more than one-quarter of the household income in rural areas of 

developing countries stems from natural forests and other natural areas (Angelsen et al., 2014). 

Although, the net loss of forest was reduced, poor governance, over forest resource allows and illegal 

loggings have been continuing in many tropical countries. From illegally harvested timber, the global 

market losses estimated to be between USD 30-100 billion annually, and government revenue losses 

amount to an additional USD 5 billion per annum (WWF & IIASA, 2012). 

To address these challenges, multilateral and bilateral development partners, governments and the 

private sector have significantly increased support for the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of 

forests through various initiatives and programs over the last decade. The impacts of many programs 

are beginning to unfold and lessons are learned from moving from project to landscape level. Many 

developing countries are in the process of formulating their national plans for mitigation actions.  

 

 

 



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Implementing REDD+ and the expected ratification of the Paris Agreement has provided several new 

options and financing for countries to collaborate. Also, high-level political discourse on developing 

deforestation-free supply chains offers a new window of opportunity for including the private sector 

and leveraging limited public finance. Further, voluntary commitments in the context of Forest 

Landscape Restoration (FLR) should be support the operationalization of political objectives for the 

land-use sector and forests, including the investments in forest product value chains (NFSDP, 2018). 

3.2 Forest Coverage of Ethiopia 

Forests are a dynamic ecosystem consisting primarily of trees that protect the earth and support a 

variety of life forms (EPCC, 2015). Forests have a variety of species composition, structure, and 

physiognomy due to environmental factors such as climate, soil types, topography, and elevation (Bubb 

et al., 2004).   

In Ethiopia, there is a scarcity of consistent and trustworthy data on forest resource coverage, standing 

stock, growth rate, production, and productivity. Estimates from other sources varied significantly; this 

is due to in part to the many definitions of forest used. Forest resources in Ethiopia cover over 17.35 

million ha (15.7% of the country’s land area), comprising bamboo, plantations, dense woodland, 

natural forests, and managed forests. The majority of the country’s natural forests are found in the 

south-western and south-eastern regions (MEFCC, 2018). 

Oromia, Gambella, SNNPR, Amhara, and Benishangul regional states have more natural forest 

resources respectively. Oromia, SNNPR, and Amhara regional states have over 93.5% of the country’s 

total plantation resources (MEFCC, 2018).  

 

Table 2. Estimates of Area Cover of Various Forest Resources in Ethiopia 

Forest types Area (ha) References 

Bamboo 519,124 MEFCC, 2018 

Dense Woodland 10,739,286  

Natural Forest 5,266,419  

Plantation 827,613  

Total 17,352,443  

 



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Figure 1. Distribution of the Forest Resources of Ethiopia 

Source: EMA (2013). 

 

3.3 Opportunities for Forest Development in Ethiopia 

3.3.1 Forest Policies, Institutions, and Governance 

The Ethiopian government has signed several of international conventions, such as: Convention to 

Combat Desertification (CCD), the Convention on Climate Change (CCC), the Convention on 

Biodiversity (CBD), the Millennium Development Goal (MDG), the Establishment of Oromia and 

Amhara Forest Enterprises, GTP, and Green Economy Targets, all have provided opportunities to 

develop degraded forest land areas. 

3.3.2 Participatory Forest Management (PFM) 

The PFM Program covers six forest priority areas in Ethiopia those are, Chilimo, Bonga, Borana, 

Belete Gera, Adaba-dodola, SOS Sahel. Sustainable Land Management (SLM), agroforestry, priority 

high forests, national parks, and sacred site forests are all examples of community-based forest 

management techniques. Trees planted around homesteads have a criticalroles for humans, as well as 

for animals. Example, trees planted near homesteads could give additional food sources as well as cash 

income for the communities (Tadesse, 2012). 

3.3.3 Reforestation/Afforestation Programs and Agroecology 

Reforestation is the direct human-induced conversion of non-forested land to forested land through 

planting, seeding, and/or the human-induced enhancement of natural seed sources. Ethiopia has been 

implementing significant tree-planting programs as part of their millennium celebrations since 2007. 

According to certain local sources, Ethiopia’s four regions, i.e., Oromia, SNNP, Amhara, and Tigray 

regional states planted a total of about 2.21 billion seedlings in 2009 (Tadesse, 2012). On a nationwide 

scale, more than 5.6 billion seedlings are expected to be planted in 2010. Since Ethiopia is located in 

the tropics, there is an access of rainfall and high temperatures as a result, it is suitable for seedling 

growth. 



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Figure 2. Planting Forest Trees as a Green Legacy 

 

4. Challenges of Forest Development in Ethiopia 

4.1 Deforestation 

Deforestation is the conversion of forest to another land use or the long-term reduction of tree canopy 

cover below the 10% threshold or deforestation implies the long-term (>10 years) or permanent loss of 

forest cover (Tejaswi, 2007). Natural resource depletion is one of the most serious concerns affecting 

humanity in all countries. Ethiopia’s forest resources, have been steadily declining over time (Tesfaye 

et al., 2017).  

Since 1960, over half of the tropical forests have been destroyed; because of, livestock, insects, 

diseases, forest fires, and other human-linked activities. According to WBISPP (2004), the first 

national inventory statistics on the forest resources indicated that in Ethiopia there was a total of 59.7 

million ha woody vegetation but, deforestation, which is occurring at an alarming rate, is a key factor 

challenging forest development. Over 15 million ha of tropical forest was deforested at an annual rate 

of 0.8% over the globe in 1980 to 1990. Africa recorded an annual loss of about 3.4 million ha from 

2000 to 2010 (Badege, 2001). It is estimated that Ethiopia has lost 140,000 ha/year. Ethiopia is facing 

rapid deforestation and degradation of land resources. The current rate of deforestation is estimated to 

be 160,000 to 200,000 ha per year (Badege, 2001). Forest and woodland cover change in Ethiopia 

indicate that the average annual rate of deforestation is greater than 0.25% (Hansen et al., 2010).  

4.1.1 Drivers of Deforestation 

There are two types of drivers: direct and indirect drivers.  Direct deforestation are an expansion of 

smallholder traditional agriculture, wood extraction, forest product collection and forest fires whereas, 

population growth, developmental activities, a range of political, cultural, weak governance, lack of 

law enforcement, land less ness, unclear allocation of rights, rural poverty, lack of investment and 

financial resources, migration, and civil conflicts are some of the indirect drivers of deforestations 

(Melaku et al., 2015).  According to Abera and Belachew (2011), the cultivated area has increased 

from 9.44 million ha in 2001 to 15.4 million ha in 2009 in Ethiopia, Example, 1850 ha/year of 

Boswellia woodland is converted into agricultural land (Atkilit, 2011). 

 



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4.2 Lack of Strong Coordinating Forestry Institution 

The institutional (developmental extension, researches, and educations) arrangements have been 

unstable structuring. Lack of stability in the organizational structure is often cited as one of the major 

bottlenecks for the lack of coordinated, effective, and long-term management and development 

successes in Ethiopian forestry (Demel et al., 2010; Mulugeta & Tadesse, 2010). Lack of strong 

coordinating Forest institution leads to Poor coordination, monitoring, low resources allocations 

(manpower, budget, and logistic), Poor inter-sectoral coordination, low policy implementation and low 

evaluation of forest development initiatives (Tadesse, 2010). 

 

5. Conclusion 

Forests are essential for life on earth. They are not really simply the green cover we require to beautify 

the earth. Ethiopia’s agroecology encourages the restoration of degraded forests. That is to say, because 

Ethiopia is located in the tropics, it has access to significant rainfall and high temperatures, both of 

which promote seedling growth. Direct deforestation drivers in Ethiopia are an expansion of 

smallholder traditional agriculture following population growth in forest areas, expansion of 

enormous-scale development activities, population growth, wood extraction, and other forest product 

collection and forest fires. Underlying drivers include a range of political, cultural, and socio-economic 

factors, including unsound policies, weak governance and lack of law enforcement, landlessness and 

unclear allocation of rights, rural poverty, lack of investment and financial resources, migration, and 

civil conflict. Deforestation, agricultural expansion and lack of strong coordinating forest institutions 

are some of the challenges for forest development in Ethiopia. The country needs to invest in forestry 

(research, extension, and education) before the problems get out of hand. The collaboration of 

researchers, education, development/extensions, and the stakeholders are needed to rehabilitate the 

degraded forest resources in Ethiopia. 

 

Acknowledgments 

This review article contains information collected from various published resources; thus, I would like 

to acknowledge all authors of the references used in this review. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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