Ethiopia owns diverse vegetation resources that include forests, woodlands, bush lands, plantations, and trees outside forests. Each of these vegetation resources variously contributes to the production, protection and conservation functions, and play significant role in the national and local economy. There are six key economic roles that forest resources play in Ethiopia: (i) foreign currency earnings, mainly from export of non-wood forest products; (ii) import substitution for energy; (iii) contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP); (iv) employment opportunity; v) livelihood support for millions of citizens, and vi) provision of environmental services that support other sectors, particularly agriculture, construction and energy. At local level forests and trees provide food, medicine, energy, fodder, farm implement and construction materials. Upon conversion, forestlands have been offering fertile croplands to sustain crop production. When protected forests are used as rangelands, they act as biological measures to conserve soil and water and provide watershed protection. Despite their wide reaching significance, forest resources of the country have been declining both in size (deforestation) and quality (degradation). Overwhelmingly, the human factor is responsible for forest degradation in the country. Population growth, poverty, unstable land-tenure system, property right over forests, lack of forest and land-use policies and socio-political instability are among the major driving factors often listed.

Accordingly, the modularized curriculum of forestry incited following the identification of the ever-increasing problems related to the unsustainable utilization of the country’s forest resources. Strong stewardship of forests and related resources supported by trained manpower and appropriate forest policy is vitally important to address the objectives of sustainable forest development and utilization. Therefore, this modularized curriculum is destined to offer a first degree (BSc) in forestry in order to have professional foresters who significantly contribute to sustainable management, utilization and conservation of forests and forest-related resources for the attainment of food security and poverty alleviation as well as livelihood improvement of the rural population.

The Department of Forestry has a mission to produce and transfer knowledge about the function and dynamics of forests and related renewable resources to all stakeholders; to encourage continual learning about forest, related renewable resources, and their role in making people’s lives better; and to produce graduates who will manage the forest and related resources on sustainable bases.

WU aspires to be one of the top three applied Universities in Ethiopia in academic, research, and community engagement by 2025. Hence, the department works to realize this in the forestry field of specialization.

The general educational objectives of the Department of Forestry are to:

• Provide high quality and relevant professional level education in forestry and related fields to address the work force needs of the Country.

• Conduct basic and applied research in forestry and related fields, paying special attention to the problem of the country.

• Disseminate research findings to users through extension departments to relevant Institutions and individuals.

The department aims to producing graduates that can have required knowledge, skill and attitude towards application of forestry related concepts.

Specifically graduates of the department or the program will:-

• Understand and characterize the growth of trees in relation to their environment
• Protect, Rehabilitate, and restore degraded forest ecosystems
• Understand the principles and concepts wood processing technologies
• Establish, and manage forest plantations
• Manage and conserve natural forests and woodlands
• Measure and evaluate trees and forest resources
• Understand the concept of watershed management and execute basic soil and water conservation activities

• Design, construct and maintain forest roads
• Prepare and execute timber harvesting plan
• Manage, harvest, and utilize timber and non-timber forest products
•  Plan and manage forest business and promote entrepreneurship
•  Analyze the economic contribution of forests and forest products
•  Involve in forestry research
•  Communicate the knowledge and skill acquired to society at large
• Exercise the principles of participatory approaches to manage communal based forests
• Collaborate with other professionals and organizations
• Develop attitudes towards self-employment/entrepreneurship

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