A feasibility study towards the establishment of a Biosphere Reserve at Laka Tana, Ethiopia, has been published in the series ‘BfN-Skripten’ by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Germany.
In 2005 the INTEWO | World Habitat Society GmbH published a summary report, which was introducing the concept of a Biosphere Reserve in Ethiopia’s Lake Tana region. In 2007 this idea of a UNESCO protected area at the source of the Blue Nile River found support in a study conducted by scientists from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Recently the Michael Succow Fundation for the Protection of Nature published a detailed feasibility study for a Biosphere Reserve at Lake Tana. The study is serving as baseline information for further action, public relations and awareness towards a Biosphere Reserve.
Lake Tana, Ethiopia’s largest lake, is a most important fresh water contributor to the Nile River, an important bird area and a hotspot for biodiversity in the country. Located in one of the fastest developing regions in East Africa, the Lake Tana area and adjacent regions are hosting a unique cultural heritage, documented with several inscriptions in the World Heritage list. The designation of a Biosphere Reserve in the region will contribute to sustainable growth in this dynamic part of the Horn of Africa, with new sources of income for the local population, promoting the increase of environmentally considerate tourism plus serving the urgent implementation of nature conservation and protected areas.
The feasibility study for a Biosphere Reserve at Lake Tana and additional project information are available on the Michael Succow foundation’s webpage.
INTEWO is working in the Lake Tana region since 2004, providing services in the field of sustainable tourism development and education, with a representative office in the regional capital Bahir Dar.