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Traditional Beliefs and Institutions for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Ethiopia: A Review from a Conservation Perspective

Received: 8 December 2021    Accepted: 11 January 2022    Published: 21 January 2022
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Abstract

Traditional beliefs, social institutions, and cultural practices are performed in traditional communities of Ethiopia to harmonize interaction between the community and their natural environment. However, the positive effect of the communities on biodiversity was undermined and modernization erodes these traditional norms and their role in biodiversity conservation is not well known and documented. This review aims to evaluate the role of traditional beliefs and institutions in the conservation of biodiversity in Ethiopia. Traditional communities of Ethiopia believed that certain places and species are the ideal places to meet with their God and give special attention to them. Plant species like Ficus sycomorus, Podocarpus falcatus, Olea capensis, and Ficus vasta are regarded as a source of different spirits and have developed positive attitudes towards the plant species, and cutting them is immoral. Gada system, Kobo system, Gudo system, Jang system, Maga, Songo, and Baallee are traditional institutions that play a significant role in animal and plant species conservation in Oromo, Kaficho, Sheka, Majang, Gamo, and Gedeo community respectively. Taboos, oral declarations, social banishment, customary law, and punishment practiced by indigenous communities prohibit actions and activities that harm the welfare of biodiversity and their natural environment. Preservation of traditional beliefs and institutions is a form of biodiversity conservation, including registration as an intangible heritage of the community by the United Nations, Science, Education, and Culture Organization, because biodiversity and traditional community are intertwined (UNESCO).

Published in International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management (Volume 7, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220701.11
Page(s) 1-5
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Biodiversity Conservation, Community, Ethiopia, Traditional Beliefs, Traditional Institutions

References
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    Shemsu Ahmed. (2022). Traditional Beliefs and Institutions for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Ethiopia: A Review from a Conservation Perspective. International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, 7(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220701.11

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    Shemsu Ahmed. Traditional Beliefs and Institutions for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Ethiopia: A Review from a Conservation Perspective. Int. J. Nat. Resour. Ecol. Manag. 2022, 7(1), 1-5. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220701.11

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    AMA Style

    Shemsu Ahmed. Traditional Beliefs and Institutions for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Ethiopia: A Review from a Conservation Perspective. Int J Nat Resour Ecol Manag. 2022;7(1):1-5. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220701.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220701.11,
      author = {Shemsu Ahmed},
      title = {Traditional Beliefs and Institutions for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Ethiopia: A Review from a Conservation Perspective},
      journal = {International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management},
      volume = {7},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-5},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220701.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220701.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnrem.20220701.11},
      abstract = {Traditional beliefs, social institutions, and cultural practices are performed in traditional communities of Ethiopia to harmonize interaction between the community and their natural environment. However, the positive effect of the communities on biodiversity was undermined and modernization erodes these traditional norms and their role in biodiversity conservation is not well known and documented. This review aims to evaluate the role of traditional beliefs and institutions in the conservation of biodiversity in Ethiopia. Traditional communities of Ethiopia believed that certain places and species are the ideal places to meet with their God and give special attention to them. Plant species like Ficus sycomorus, Podocarpus falcatus, Olea capensis, and Ficus vasta are regarded as a source of different spirits and have developed positive attitudes towards the plant species, and cutting them is immoral. Gada system, Kobo system, Gudo system, Jang system, Maga, Songo, and Baallee are traditional institutions that play a significant role in animal and plant species conservation in Oromo, Kaficho, Sheka, Majang, Gamo, and Gedeo community respectively. Taboos, oral declarations, social banishment, customary law, and punishment practiced by indigenous communities prohibit actions and activities that harm the welfare of biodiversity and their natural environment. Preservation of traditional beliefs and institutions is a form of biodiversity conservation, including registration as an intangible heritage of the community by the United Nations, Science, Education, and Culture Organization, because biodiversity and traditional community are intertwined (UNESCO).},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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    AB  - Traditional beliefs, social institutions, and cultural practices are performed in traditional communities of Ethiopia to harmonize interaction between the community and their natural environment. However, the positive effect of the communities on biodiversity was undermined and modernization erodes these traditional norms and their role in biodiversity conservation is not well known and documented. This review aims to evaluate the role of traditional beliefs and institutions in the conservation of biodiversity in Ethiopia. Traditional communities of Ethiopia believed that certain places and species are the ideal places to meet with their God and give special attention to them. Plant species like Ficus sycomorus, Podocarpus falcatus, Olea capensis, and Ficus vasta are regarded as a source of different spirits and have developed positive attitudes towards the plant species, and cutting them is immoral. Gada system, Kobo system, Gudo system, Jang system, Maga, Songo, and Baallee are traditional institutions that play a significant role in animal and plant species conservation in Oromo, Kaficho, Sheka, Majang, Gamo, and Gedeo community respectively. Taboos, oral declarations, social banishment, customary law, and punishment practiced by indigenous communities prohibit actions and activities that harm the welfare of biodiversity and their natural environment. Preservation of traditional beliefs and institutions is a form of biodiversity conservation, including registration as an intangible heritage of the community by the United Nations, Science, Education, and Culture Organization, because biodiversity and traditional community are intertwined (UNESCO).
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Author Information
  • Forest and Rangeland Plant Biodiversity Directorate, Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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