As the main source of tributaries of the world’s longest river Nile, 59 other local rivers and more than 273 streams, Mount Choke is given a nickname “The Water Tower.” It is also famous for indigenous types of vegetation and wildlife like red fox, leopard, long tails birds and the like.
For many people like Getie Ayalew, a resident in Debay Tilat gen woreda of Amhara state Choke Mountain is their mainstay that they consider it as everything.
Solomon Berhanu, Officer with Choke Biodiversity Basin Development In East Gojam Zone told The Ethiopian Herald that mount Choke is rich in various diversities and covers more than 19,000 hectares. It is located 4100 meters above sea level and a distance of close to 37 kilometers away from the main East Gojjam zonal town of Debre Markos.
However, the mountain has lost some of its old features due to the influx of population in the area. It has lost its endemic animals and became barren land due to deforestation, overgrazing, and the expansion of farmland following population increase every year.
Particularly, the livelihoods of the residents are breeding equine, then overgrazing and expansion of farming are common during the past many years. This has a serious factor, which imposed to keep its value sustainably during the past years.
Following this, eight years ago, Gertie became the Chairman of the Woyfen Terrace Resource Tourism Marketing Cooperative, with a membership of 400 people.
The main aim of his Cooperative is rehabilitating Choke Mountain to its former condition by planting trees and protecting from different damages.
After taking community organization and increasing awareness, the community has enabled many women and youth to benefit from sheep breeding and poultry with the financial support of the zonal
administration. In addition to this, using a power-saving baking plate or stove has been promoted as a method to mitigate deforestation of the mountain, he added.
According to Solomon, the main aim of his project is increasing awareness creation to society on Mount Choke and securing ownership title deed for the local community.
He further stated that the zone has formed ‘’Community Based Organization’’ close to four woredas, namely, Biyugne, Debay tilat gen, Senane, and Sadie while they embrace a total of 13 kebeles. In addition to this, close to 14 Natural Resources Development and Conservation were formed.
‘’After providing different training for society during the past some years, some kebeles actively participated in conserving the area. This shows that awareness creation on society has to play an indispensable role in safeguarding Choke Mountain in the forthcoming periods. ‘’
Currently, more than 6,000 of the total 19,000 hectares in the mountain have been fenced as a buffer zone. The buffer zone smaller in size compared to the total coverage of the mountain, it serves effectively in the conservation system for the coming years.
On the other hand, the project has created ‘’Conservation Building System’’ through providing special breeds of hens and select seeds of cereals for improving their livelihood without any need to enter into the protected area of the mountain thereby balancing the ecosystem continuously.
Abiyot Molla, Director General in Choke’s flow Research and Development at Debre Markos University on his part said that the mountain is home to various indigenous trees, wild animals, birds and the like before a century.
With the population increase in the number and expansion of their farmlands, deforestation increases to fulfill their interests. Following this, animals are displaced to neighboring countries, which have special forest coverage and most of the mountain parts are covered by barren land accordingly.
According to the Director, his institution has conducted researches on how the community can benefit without causing damage on the Mountain, the significance of conservation activities on Mount Choke as well as the impact of lack of preservation on the mountain.
Particularly,the society’s misper ception of government’s intervention is preventing the quick implementation of the research. This calls for the need for awareness creation on society and ensures their benefits as a major priority for sustainably conserving the mountain.
To solve the current problems on mount Choke, the institute has devised a legal framework, called ‘’Society’s Conserving Work System ’’, and ready for dissemination to stakeholders in the coming few months in this fiscal year. In addition to this, the rotational grazing system is another alternative system to protect the mountain.
On the other hand, more than 9.5 percent of the Nile source is Choke mount. Therefore, conserving the mountain is not only the responsibility of Ethiopia, rather the issue of East African countries, he stressed.
The Ethiopian Herald July 20/2019
BY MESERET BEHAILU
