A review of Wetland Conservation and Management

Abstract: In Ethiopia, wetlands cover nearly 2 % of the total land area of the country. They are one of the most productive ecosystems and perform many functions that maintain ecological integrity. They provide lots of goods and services that encompass agricultural production, tourism, and biodiversity conservation, social, economic as well as cultural activities. More specifically, wetlands are crucial resources of income generation and livelihood for local communities. Despite the diverse benefits that wetlands provide, lack of effective management has led to their continued degradation that includes unsustainable activities such as converting wetlands into agricultural and grazing lands, using them as waste disposal sites, and overexploitation of resources. Misconception about wetlands and considering them as wastelands and breeding grounds of mosquitoes and also absence of clearly defined tenure right on wetlands are further challenges that exacerbate wetlands ’ degradation. In response to the aforementioned challenges and threats, there have been commendable efforts exerted by scholars in the last decades to publicize the value of wetlands to the national and local economy in a number of national and regional awareness-creation workshops. In many of these workshops, apart from emphasizing the significance of wetlands and expressing the looming threats imposed on them, the need for formulating a national policy or a wetland development strategy that could enhance sustenance of their ecological and socioeconomic functions for the present and future generations of the country was boldly stated. Ethiopia stands for environmentally safe world and has given due consideration to natural resource protection and management in which wetlands are a component. Although the country hasn’