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Mon, 05 March 2018 7:18 am

About the Natural Resources

Background:

Ethiopia is endowed with vast natural resources. The country is rich in flora and fauna with over 6000 species of higher plant, 277 terrestrial mammals, 862 species of birds, 201 species of reptiles, and 63 species of amphibians. The country is one of the 12 Vavilov centres of crop diversity and the fifth largest flora in tropical Africa. Ethiopia also stands on important position for its water resources in Africa. There are 12 major drainage basins many of which are trans-boundary.

Despite these entire natural resources, however, today the natural resources bases of the country are heavily suffering from widespread improper and unwise utilization resulting in their rapid degradation. Deforestation, desertification, loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, the decline of soil fertility decline, soil acidification, salinization, environmental pollution, and climate change are some of the major expressions of natural resources problems in contemporary Ethiopia. As more users place demands on the scarce environmental resources, the need for intelligent conservation and rational management of the natural assets is ever greater, the very concept of sustainable development.

The fundamental principle of sustainable development entails that the use of natural resources by a generation should not compromise (i) their roles in maintaining natural ecological balance, (ii) their position in environmental quality and integrity, and (iii) their quantity and quality such that successive generations could also satisfy their needs. Natural resources management forms part and parcel of sustainable development and is systems approach (integrated-holistic approach) to managing our natural resources.

Therefore, the departments at national level and Natural resources management department at Arba Minch University is running with the following vision, missions and objectives

Vision

The Department of Natural Resource Management strives to be ultimately leading in quality education, demand driven research and Community engagement works to be a focal point in dissemination of knowledge, skills and information on Natural Resource Management in the country.

Mission

The mission of the Department is to train professionally competent, socially responsible man power, conduct demand driven research and render community engagement activities in the area of Natural Resource Management.

Objectives

The Objectives of the Natural Resource Management Department (NaRM) are to:

• Offer an up-to-date and multi-disciplinary education that produces competent and qualified professionals in Natural Resource Management;
• Strengthen Natural Resource Management efforts through demand driven and problem solving research to promote sustainable Natural Resource use so as improved livelihoods;
• Develop and Disseminate technological innovations in education and research in Natural Resource Management;
• Provide technical advice, consultancy services and tailored short term training to development agents and other stakeholders working in the area of Natural Resources
• Integrate teaching and research with extension activities so as to extend appropriate technologies generated through research.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

UNDERGRADUATE (BSc)

1. BSc in Natural Resources Management: Regular (Under Graduate I ¬- IV Batches)
2. BSc in Natural Resources Management: summer (Under Graduate I-VI Batches).

POSTGRADUATE (MSc)

1. MSc in Watershed Management
2. MSc in Sustainable natural resources management
3. MSc in soil and water conservation (Curriculum development underway)

POSTGRADUATE (PhD)

1. PhD in Watershed Management (Curriculum development underway)

PARTNERSHIP

• The department has been working with Southern Nations, Nationalities and People Regional State to train summer in service students & Strong link with regional sectorial offices in relation with research & community services.
• Gamo and Gofa Zone and districts around Gamo/Gofa zone the department work in collaboration with experts in SWC, watershed restoration and Natural resources Management activities
• Nech Sar National Park is one of the training and filed demonstration sites for Natural Resources management students in the area.
• Sustainable Tourism based on Natural resource management with Gender Balance towards Women (STRONGBOW) Holistic approach in Natural Resources Management (Czech republic)
• Institutional University Cooperation with Belgian Universities
• GIZ forest for future (Forest landscape restoration (Green Development Fund/REDD+ Landscape)
• International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR)

Research Areas in Natural Resources Management

•  Soil and Water Conservation
• Soil fertility and problematic soil management
• Watershed Protection & Management
• Environmental Pollution & Control
• Natural Resources Policy & Conflict Management
• Alternative Energy Production & Management
• Forest ecology and Biodiversity Conservation
• Agroforestry for Community Livelihood Production
• Conservation and Management of Wildlife resources
• Ecosystem Rehabilitation and Restoration
• Ecotourism Development
• Hydrology and water resources
• Rangeland land ecology management
• Natural Resources economics
• Land use planning and management

Staff profile

Contact Us:

Aynalem Gochera Sade (MSc. Agroforestry);

Lecturer at Arba Minch University;

Head, department of natural resource management;

MOBILE: +251908898111

EMAIL: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

P.O. Box 21/ Arba Minch University, Ethiopia

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/2HQC%2BPQC+Airpory+way,+Arba+Minch//@6.0392973,37.5018348,24942m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m8!4m7!1m5!1m1!1s0x17babcb7010992d5:0x40b653606bc981d7!2m2!1d37.5718754!2d6.0393018!1m0!5m1!1e4

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Thu, 25 January 2018 6:42 am

Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension (RDAE) has been the first ever program and department that came into being with the establishment of College of Agricultural Sciences in 2007-8. It’s the first undergraduate (BSc) program with strategic plan and visión of opening various demand-driven and relevant programs for social and national development. The department being potentially important has a plan to get transformed into full-fledged school in near future.

Read more: Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension

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Mon, 05 March 2018 7:10 am

About Forestry

Background

Forests are among the most valuable resources of humanity rendering natural, social, and economic values. They are home for a wide range of fauna and flora and a source of wood and non-wood forest products and other direct and indirect use values for mankind. Ethiopia owns diverse vegetation resources that include high forests, woodlands, bushlands, plantations, and trees outside forests.

Each of these vegetation resources variously contributes to the production, protection, and conservation functions, and plays a significant role in the national and local economy. There are six key economic roles that forest resources play in Ethiopia: (i) foreign currency earnings, mainly from the export of non-wood forest products; (ii) import substitution for energy; (iii) contribution to the GDP; (iv) employment opportunity; v) livelihood support for millions of citizens, and vi) provision of environmental services that support other sectors, particularly agriculture, construction, and energy. At the local level forests and trees provide food, medicine, energy, fodder, farm implement, and construction materials. Environmental benefits of forests are well studied and a large volume of evidence exists supporting the role of forests in soil and water conservation, amelioration of local climate and provision of a range of ecosystem services. Forest ecosystems currently receive attention as potential sinks for carbon and a means to addressing climate change, and thus the area of planted forests is increasing while the rate of deforestation shows signs of decreasing at the global scale. By contrast, Ethiopia has been known as one of the countries whose forest resources are severely deforested and degraded. Population growth, urbanization, and unplanned settlement, unstable land tenure, forest property rights, lack of forest and land use policies and socio-political instability, overgrazing, and many other factors are suggested as causes for the depletion and deterioration of the forest resources. Thus, in order to fill this gap, Arba Minch University opened a general forestry BSc program in the year of 2014 at the College of Agricultural Sciences with the following vision, mission, and objectives.

Vision

The department of forestry envisions being the center of excellence in forestry education and research, dissemination of knowledge and skills relevant for sustainable management, utilization, and conservation of forest and forest resources of the country contributing to food security and poverty alleviation, economic improvement, and environmental sustainability.

Mission

The mission of the department is to provide up-to-date and problem-solving training at the BSc and MSc levels and carry out research and extension for the advancement of science and technology in forestry and forestry-related resources. The program will also play an important role in producing and disseminating forestry research outcomes to all stakeholders including policymakers and local communities.

Objectives

The objectives of the department are to:

• Provide high-quality and relevant professional-level education in forestry and related fields to address the human power needs of the Country;
• Conduct demand-driven research in forestry and related fields and disseminate research findings to users through appropriate dissemination mechanisms;
• Contribute to the national development goals of poverty alleviation and increased food security by increasing the opportunities for forest-based income-generating activities;
• Maximize the contribution of the forestry sector to income, employment, and trade through the development of appropriate wood processing activities;
• Ensure that forestry development contributes to national development goals and international commitments (including regional cooperation and transboundary issues) and is coordinated with other relevant branches of government; and
• Ensure that activities in the forestry sector (including forest management, plantation development, harvesting, conservation, and industrial development) are based on sound scientific and technical principles;

 Staffs profile

Academic Programs in the department (BSc)

Undergraduate Program

1. BSc degree in General Forestry (Regular)

Postgraduate program (MSc)

1. MSc degree in agroforestry

Research and community services

Starting from its establishment the department is working in community services in several ways. As an example, it has been raising different types of seedlings and providing for local communities to achieve the Ethiopian green legacy goals. And also different research activities have been conducted in the department by the staff.

External funded Research and community services

The department is working with the national organization of the Ethiopian health institute on maximizing the development and safe utilization of Moringa stenopetala through an interdisciplinary investigational approach since 2017. The objective of this research is meant for increase the benefits of this miracle tree for the surrounding community. The research includes Moringa for agroforestry and Moringa for climate change mitigation and food security issues. Recently, the department is starting community services activities with GIZ forest for the future by launching a project called School Youth Forest Landscape Restoration Engagement.

Contact us:

Mr. Daba Misgana Bekele,

Head, Department of Forestry

College of Agricultural Sciences

Arba Minch University

Arba Minch, Ethiopia

Phone number: +251922160244

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

https://goo.gl/maps/qpDNT8WzSHXaYWy98

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Tue, 21 July 2015 12:56 pm

Table 1. Undergraduate student population (Academic year 2018/2019)

Read more: Students' data