“Follow in the steps of the ancestors to protect biodiversity.” This was a stand-out message from Mr. Kabole Gedisha Orgeta at Ethiopia’s first National Trialogue held in Adama on 23–24 September 2021.

Mr. Kabole from the Konso ethnic group was one of several local community leaders who joined this meeting, which brought together members of the scientific community, policymakers, practitioners and indigenous and local knowledge holders to engage with Ethiopia’s National Ecosystem Assessment. This year, Ethiopia will join Colombia, Cameroon and Viet Nam to be among the first countries to complete their ecosystem assessments under the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network (BES-Net) project, which is implemented jointly by UNDP GC-RED and the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre with the support of the Government of Germany.

Ethiopia is a megadiverse country with a unique mosaic of 10 vital ecosystems, ranging from Afro-alpine mountainous regions to desert and semi-desert scrublands. The country has recorded nearly 6,000 species of plants, 284 species of wild mammals and 861 species of birds. It has long been known to be the epicentre of crops such as coffee, teff, durum wheat, barley and more. Agriculture overwhelmingly drives the Ethiopian economy, employing nearly 75% of the population and contributing to 80% of the country’s exports.

Yet, against the backdrop of growing economic development, precious natural resources are threatened by unsustainable land use, overexploitation, invasive alien species, pollution and climate change. Ethiopia’s own long-term vision clearly outlines a role for biodiversity conservation. Nearly 30% of the country’s long-term development plan is composed of large-scale projects and programmes that have some considerations on biodiversity and natural resources.

Led by the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute and supported by BES-Net’s partners, the Trialogue created an inclusive and safe space for participants to examine the national ecosystem assessment and its policy impacts. The assessment plays a critical role in providing a robust foundation of the most relevant, credible and legitimate evidence on the state of biodiversity and ecosystems in the country.

Having begun in 2017, the assessment establishes a common knowledge base examining the status, trends and pressures to biodiversity, the contribution of biodiversity to the economy, and the impacts of various ongoing biodiversity and ecosystem-related policies and interventions. The Trialogue also reiterates one of the assessment’s key aims of understanding the state of awareness among policymakers, members of the scientific community, practitioners and media, and the role of community knowledge in shaping conservation efforts in the country.

At the meeting, Dr Feleke Woldeyes, Deputy Director-General of the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, pressed upon the need for greater coordination and interface among science and policy. This requires greater availability of data, continuous exchange of ideas and learnings and linking actors across the chain.

In reflecting on how Ethiopia’s natural resources have changed over time, participants noted that forest cover has systematically been depleted, while wetlands are steadily being transformed into agricultural lands, prioritizing monoculture. Community leaders like Mr Kabole, who were present at the event, harked back to a time when the nine community leaders in the Konso area would lead their respective communities to preserve forests and woodlands. Over time, this cultural wisdom has started dwindling, and community knowledge is not being funnelled into policymaking.

Listening attentively to these concerns, the participants all recognized the opportunity presented by the national ecosystem assessment. This offers a foundation for more comprehensive data collection and acts as an important policy tool for the formulation and implementation of the forthcoming Ethiopian Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework and its commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Misikire Tessema commented: “The national assessment project team members and other colleagues from the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute agree that the Trialogue session provided the opportunity for policymakers, scientists and practitioners to come together and exchange views on pertinent issues, and would pave the way for future collaboration and cooperative implementation of the forthcoming Ethiopian Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework.”

The Ethiopian National Trialogue’s success was marked by the rich discussions and commitment generated for the assessment by 82 participants from 12 different government bodies represented, including members from the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister’s Office and local community leaders from some of Ethiopia’s most biodiverse regions, as well as nongovernmental organizations operating actively in the areas of biodiversity conservation and local development. Ethiopia’s national ecosystem assessment has been developed with close reference to the IPBES guide on the production of assessment and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2022.