Abijatta Shalla Lakes National Park

We also visited this park (in Dec 2007) and still remember the sorry sight which greeted us. So we found the review by T Mengstab of particular interest.

First, a “reminder” that the Park is listed on this Web site solely because it was at one time on Ethiopia’s T List. In 1979 Abijatta Shalla, was one of 10 Ethiopian nominations deferred by the Bureau in advance of the full WHC. The result was the same for a second attempt at inscription in 1981. At the time the Communist military junta known as “The Derg” had been in power for 4 years – the Ogaden war had just finished and the first in the series of famines during the 1980s was about to take place. The civil war to get rid of the Derg and its ultimate leader Mengistu would last until 1991. The subsequent years have seen an initial period of constitutional uncertainty be at least partially settled by the introduction of a Federal approach which devolves many powers to the regions – but this does create opportunities for conflicts or at least “gaps” on preservation matters as between national and regional government. Meanwhile a 1979 population of c37 million has risen to today’s 76 million despite the loss of Eritrea, the “Red Terror” and all the famines and wars. The result of this on Parks like Abijatta Shalla has been disastrous.

Looking at the state of the Park in Dec 2007 it was difficult to conceive how it …

Yes i have been in the last Jnue- August/ 2008 for Research from Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU on Migratory birds.Ii is an amazing area of Biodiversity, endemisim, and Home of hundreds of Migratory birds from ever part of the world. Not only that the rift valley of Ethiopia is almost full with lots of ecolodges that make mental rest. But the park is really disappointing it is under sever destruction both by animals, agriculture,sand and mineral salt extraction from the lakes off-shore! for more details contact me!