National Parks In the SNNPRs

There are seven National parks in the Region five of them are functional (Chebera-Churchura, Mazie, Mago, Nech-Sar and Omo) and the remaining two (Gibe-Shelqo and Loka Abaya) are under establishment.  Inventory and boundary demarcation of the latter two newly discovered National Parks have already completed. The remaining task is establishing the area as a national park these may include constructing headquarter, second command post and recruiting the required  human resources like park warden, technical & supportive staff and wildlife scouts. It is expected, that by the year 2003 E.C. both parks will start their practical conservational work.

Management: currently, the management of the national parks have undertaken either by the Ethiopia Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) or by the SNNPRS Culture and Tourism Bureau Tourism and Parks Development & Utilization Process (SNNPRS-CTB-TPDUP). Accordingly, the SNNPRS-CTB- TPDUP had managed Nech-Sar and Omo National Parks until the end of June 2009.  Recently, the management of both parks have been transferred to EWCA based on the new proclamation No. 541/2007 wildlife conservation and utilization proclamation for their better management of the rich biological diversity and dramatic natural scenery of the parks.

The SNNPRS-CTB-TPDUP manages the remaining National Parks (Chebera-Churchura, Maze and Mago) as well as the Arba Minch Crocodile Ranch. Each of these parks has one coordinator, four supportive staffs, and three technical staffs together with 21 to 50 wildlife scouts. The park coordinator is directly seconded for the Region CTB- TPDUP. He is responsible to coordinate conducting the various conservation and developmental activities such as law-enforcement, wildlife management (habitat and species), ecological monitoring, infrastructure development, tourism and community development.. The Region TPDUP is responsible in planning the annual activities together with each park management, and allocating the required budget. The department periodically supervises and evaluates the achievement/ implementation/ of the planed activities. The department has also provided different supports, capacity building, recruiting human resource, purchasing, and supplying big materials available in the country and sometimes abroad.