Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources (WGCFNR) at Hawassa University organized a Policy Dialogue Workshop under the theme “Policy Gap Analysis of Church Forests in Ethiopia: Significance, Institutional Role, and Strategic Pathways.”
The workshop brought together policymakers, researchers, project coordinators, and stakeholders to discuss the governance, conservation, and sustainable management of Ethiopia’s church forests.
In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Teshale Wondemanuel, Dean of WGCFNR, emphasized the importance of creating public awareness, establishing a supportive policy environment, promoting collective action, and strengthening institutional contributions to ensure the sustainability of church forests.
Opening the workshop, Dr. Tafesse Matewos, Vice President for Research and Collaboration at Hawassa University, highlighted the unique significance of Ethiopian Orthodox Church forests as living sanctuaries of biodiversity, spiritual heritage, and community identity. He noted that these forests harbor a substantial portion of Ethiopia’s remaining native and endemic tree species and possess immense ecological, cultural, and economic values.
Delivering the keynote speech, H.E Dr. Motuma Tolera, RIP- Forest Sector Transformation Unit Head at EFD, described church forests as a remarkable legacy of Ethiopia’s spiritual and ecological traditions. He noted that these forests have safeguarded indigenous species, regulated ecosystems, supported local livelihoods, and demonstrated ecological resilience for centuries. Dr. Motuma further noted that while recent policies increasingly recognize the importance of church forests, more efforts are needed to strengthen ownership and governance arrangements and to enhance opportunities for benefiting from carbon trading mechanisms.
During the technical session, Dr. Beyene Teklu, Church Forest Project Coordinator, presented the findings of a policy gap analysis on church forests in Ethiopia. The study reviewed existing forest, biodiversity, land administration, climate resilience, and Green Legacy policy documents. He recommended advocating for the recognition of religious forests as a protected land-use category, establishing clear federal guidelines to harmonize regional regulations, supporting efforts to quantify the full value of church forests, integrating customary governance systems into formal planning processes, and strengthening the legal standing of religious institutions in forest management.
The workshop also featured experience-sharing presentation by Mr. Taye Dugassa, OFLP Coordinator, who shared lessons and experiences from carbon finance initiatives under the Oromia Forested Landscape Program (OFLP). In addition, Mr. Kefyalew Sahle, a member of the Church Forest Project, spoke about the need for archiving and accessibility of Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission (EOCDICAC) documents within the Forest Knowledge Management Center database at WGCFNR and their broader applications for research and conservation.
The event concluded with extensive plenary discussions, during which participants exchanged views and recommendations on policy reforms, institutional collaboration, and strategic actions necessary to strengthen the conservation and governance of Ethiopia’s church forests.
