Ecotourism Development in Protected Area: The Case of Senkele Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary (SSHS), West Arsi Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Even though natural resources have a certain contribution for development of tourism in Ethiopia with its major contribution to livelihoods of the majority of Ethiopians, large of attractive natural and cultural resources are exposed to degradations or threats due to negligence (EPA, 1997). Therefore, the main objective of this study was assessing Ecotourism Development or alternative options for sustainable use of natural resources which will improve the livelihood of local communities and conservation of SSHS. To this end, the research has attempted to integrate both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Questionnaire, Key informant interview, Focused group discussion, direct observation and literature reviews were employed as instruments of data collection. The participants of the study were members of the local community, community leaders (Aba Geda), and related stakeholders like Agriculture and Rural Development office, Cultural and Tourism office, SSHS experts and Small and Micro enterprise office at woreda administration level. Four Kebeles were selected purposefully from 8 Kebeles which were surrounding the Sanctuary. The collected data using households’ survey were analyzed by frequency and Percentage. The findings showed that SSHS and the surrounding community have an excellent opportunity to develop ecotourism as an alternative livelihood. The analyses of the study revealed that natural and cultural resources such as abundance and diversity of bird, mammals, scenic landscape, hot springs, natural caves, waterfall and attractive vegetations are the main ecotourism potential in SSHS. Other opportunities include favorable weather conditions, local institutions and policy. So, developing ecotourism can engage a wide cross section of people and it is the most promising strategy to reduce the sever livelihood and diversify local livelihood options. However, at current time major constraints keep the potential opportunities from being developed. These include: lack of adequate infrastructure, lack of local community involvement and participation and unsustainable livelihood, inter-ethnic conflict, natural resource exploitation and lack of trained manpower. Thus, it is a crucial time for developing ecotourism to protect the beauty and environmental quality of the area and to improve local livelihood. In light of those circumstances, I strongly recommend all the concerned bodies to focus on the significance of developing ecotourism in the SSHS and the surrounding area. Keywords/Phrases: Ecotourism, attractions, conservation, livelihood, Senkele Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary, Protected area