Addis Ababa (AMECO)- The Amhara Region Environmental Protection Authority generated more than 249m birr (£1.2m) from the regulated trade of forest products during the 2018 fiscal year, despite facing severe operational setbacks caused by regional security problems and budget shortfalls.
Speaking at an annual performance review and planning meeting, the authority’s deputy head, Belsti Fetene, reported that forest coverage across the region had expanded over the past two to three years as a result of sustained conservation and development initiatives.
Revenue was raised through the controlled harvesting and movement of forest products, including charcoal, frankincense, myrrh, and industrial gums. Local officials noted that identifying regional natural resources and forming youth co-operatives had helped create jobs while attracting private investment into the forestry sector.
During the same period, the authority achieved an overall performance rating exceeding 90%, granting environmental approval to more than 6,000 new projects and conducting compliance audits on over 5,000 existing operations. Corrective enforcement measures were taken against facilities failing to meet environmental and social standards.
However, Belsti acknowledged that the agency suffered significant material losses, reporting that environmental protection assets had been destroyed as a direct consequence of security instability across the region, compounded by budget constraints.
Looking ahead to the 2019 fiscal year, the authority plans to intensify its oversight of forest trade supply chains, expand the number of protected forest reserves, enforce strict protections for natural forests, and step up monitoring to curb environmental pollution. The agency intends to work closely with local producers, investors, and youth groups in resource-rich areas to further increase sustainable revenues.
