OBU Organizes Consultative Meeting

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OBU Organizes Consultative Meeting
Oda Bultum university Organizes Consultative Meeting  on Threats Facing  Asebot Forest on March 13,2020.

Asebot forest is among the forest fragments found in dry Afromontane ecology. This Afromontane ecology is currently exposed to heavy deforestation and loss of biodiversity.

As assistant professor Alemayew Beyene,Research and Community Engagement Vise President, stated in his opening speech, as a public higher learning and research institution OBU can’t observe and simply skip this serious problem. That is why it took an initiative to organize this consultative meeting with The park administration, Mieso and Gumbi Bordede  woreda concerned Government sectors  on threats facing Asebot forest and biodiversity inside it.

Following professor Alemayew’s speech, assistant professor Muktar Reshid,a senior instructor  and researcher  in natural resource management and environmental science presented his  research findings. According to him there are four basic drivers for the forest and wildlife threats at Asebot. These are:

  • Deliberate and accidental fire which affect the forest
  • Cutting the forest for charcoal making and fuel wood extraction
  • Clearing the forest for agricultural land expansion
  • Expansion of invasive species like P.julflore.

The researcher finally noted that as the result of the above factors, the existing indigenous forest species are threatened and the wild lives are endangered.

The presentation was followed by detail discussion on how to save the threatened forest and biodiversity in it and on how to create means of alternative livelihood for forest dependent society.

Lastly, understanding the depth and the levels of complexity of the problem, the Organizer decided to organize another more inclusive panel discussion with all stakeholders at zonal level. Therefore, the meeting was concluded by establishing technical and community mobilizing committees which can do preliminary work for the upcoming panel discussion.

Compiled by Foreign and Public Relations Directorate

March 19, 2020