ETHIOPIA: Support for the preservation of the maze national park

Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa with approximately 115 million people (2020), a number expected to double by 2060, more than 80% of whom live in rural areas.

With the exponential population growth, the pressure on land is increasing. In this context, this project aims to ensure the integrity of Maze National Park by addressing the issues of high population pressure, the dependence of local communities on the park's natural resources and recurrent droughts.

Communities living near the park are highly dependent on the park's resources and use them in an unsustainable way. 

Additionally, water scarcity is a growing problem in the Maze River catchment. The Maze River, a perennial river, has dried up for the first time in the current dry season (2023).

A cornerstone of the project's intervention logic is to involve, support and strengthen the relevant authorities in the implementation of activities within their mandate in order to ensure the sustainability of the project results.

The Hailemariam & Roman Foundation (HRF) who will play the role of an umbrella organization enabling the different institutions (Maze National Park, Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Bureau of Agriculture and Bureau of Water) to work together towards a common goal.

• Impact on conservation and biodiversity: knowledge and monitoring by the various stakeholders of the biodiversity of Maze Park and improvement of its management.
• Economic and social impacts: the development of economic activities at the community level will increase their livelihoods and reduce the unsustainable use of natural resources in the park and its surroundings.
• Environmental impacts: the plots around the park will be restored in terms of soil fertility, erosion control, agricultural and fodder production according to inclusive processes experienced in the region, and the water cycle in the Maze River watershed will be restored.
• Impacts on governance and water availability: Water governance will be developed at two levels to include all stakeholders: with communities and authorities in the catchment and with the private sector to manage the sharing of water intakes in the tributaries of the Maze River.