EBI celebrate its 40th founding anniversary and the 15th International Biodiversity Day

EBI celebrate its 40^th founding anniversary and the 15^th International Biodiversity Day

EBI celebrate its 40^th founding anniversary and the 15^th International Biodiversity Day by organizing a workshop at the Economic commission for Africa (ECA) hall under the theme “mainstreaming Biodiversity: sustaining people and their Livelihood.” 

Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael, Finance and Economy cluster coordinator with the rank of Deputy Prime Minister who is also Minister of communication and Information Technology, said on the celebration that Mainstreaming of Biodiversity should be taken seriously as it helps conserve the precious resources for the benefit of the present and future generation.

“We are required to care for, avoid threats and sustainably use components of biodiversity”, Dr. Debretsion highlighted in his speech.

The minister called on relevant actors in the sector to give proper attention in assessing potentials in biodiversity for the development of the nation.

He underlined the criticality of raising public awareness on conservation of biodiversity, making genetic resource accessible and equitable share of benefit arising from utilization.

Ethiopia has implemented a system that enables it to share resources with other countries for ‘no one country can become self-sufficient with regard to biodiversity’, he noted.

According to the senior government official, Ethiopia has ratified the Rio-agreement the convention on biological diversity and endorsed International Treaty on Plants Genetic Resource for Food and Agriculture Diversity.

Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shiferaw Teklemariam  also made an Opening speech at the event saying it is necessary to mainstream biodiversity in all engagements.

Shiferaw noted that biodiversity constitutes the foundation for sustainable development besides its economic, social and ecological usage, adding it is a cornerstone for the improvement of the people.

“Proper use and conservation of our natural resources will not only allow satisfying the needs of the present generation but also ensure the right of the future generation in using the resources,” he stated.

While delivering a welcoming speech at the event, Dr. Gemedo Dalle, Director General of EBI said the institute has succeeded in exploration, collection and conservation of genetic resources.

It is impossible to ensure sustainable development as well as ensure food security without focusing on biodiversity since Ethiopian’s economy depends on it, Gemedo remarked.

The director general indicated that Ethiopia’s gene bank is one of the leading such facilities in Africa.

The institute has established 23 community gene banks, 17 field gene banks and 16 ex-situ conservation sites indifferent regions of the county, he added.

So far 112,266 samples of 1,021 microbial genetics including five sub genetics have been stored in the main gene bank.

The institute was able to bring back 9,705 samples which were taken abroad in different ways.

According to the director general, only three percent of the over 250,000 genetic resources have been used, revealing its limited usage which may delimit the chance of alternatives as agriculture is becoming confined to these very limited biodiversity resources.

Limited technical and financial capacity as well as law awareness level of the public on biodiversity is among the bottlenecks facing the sector, Gemedo mentioned.

Despite being rich in biodiversity, Ethiopia derives very limited benefit from the sector. So, emphasizing the need to focusing on research and proper utilization of the resource in the future.

Silviculturist under Forest and Range Land Plants Biodiversity Directorate at EBI, Dr. Alishum Ahmed also said Ethiopia is among 8 countries rich in biodiversity resource in the world.

He said EBI is working towards conserving biodiversity, eroded form time to time due to expansion of agriculture practice, forest fires, and harsh weather condition, among others.

EBI set measures to make conservation scientific to ensure sustainable usage of biodiversity resource and to actively elicit the participation of the community by intensifying ownership, he stressed.