Background

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.

Degree We Offer

Undergraduate program:

• BSc in ForesteryOur undergraduate program is focus on the primary objective to produce a high quality graduate with an entrepreneurial and problem-solving mind-set. The specific objectives of the program are:
  • To provide high quality and relevant professional level education in forestry to address the manpower needs of the country.
  • To conduct basic and applied research in forestry, paying special attention to the problem of the country and to disseminate research findings through extension programs to relevant institutions and individuals.
  • To provide broader and multidisciplinary forestry education and produce qualified professionals in the field of forestry who can work at different levels as field technicians, educators, researchers and decision makers
  • Build the technical capacity of graduates to manage and utilize the natural forests, plantations and woodlands that better contribute for the increased income from timber and non-timber forest products
  •  Equip graduates with the necessary knowledge, skill and attitude in enhancing the contribution of forestry to livelihood improvement of people and betterment of their environment
  • Equip graduates with a multi-dimensional knowledge that will enable them to manage and develop the dry land resources, biodiversity and watersheds
  • Provide training in contemporary forest science and forest products utilization and marketing which will ascertain an optimized income from the forestry sector to ensure the sustainable utilization and development of forest resources