Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Eritrea is home to over 167 indigenous plant species [ ] 100 National tree planting campaign Since the fourth CBD national report some activities have been undertaken to implement the National Biodiver- sity Strategies and Action Plans, in- cluding policies, strategies, laws and regulations. Among these, Eritrea has started a national tree planting campaign which involves the partici- pation of civil society. As continuation of the effectors in conservation and development of forest and wildlife resources of the country, the government is addressing environmental degrada- tion through social mobilization in afforestation and soil and water con- servation. School students, religious leaders, communities, individuals and various institutions are active- ly participating in this campaign. Religious leaders, students and other community members have been trained and sensitized to the need for tree planting and environment con- servation as a key strategy to achieve food security. The achievement of the campaign so far is encouraging. Between 2010 and 2014 a total of 7,230ha of new planta- tion (more than 18 million seedlings) were established. To date, 39,230 ha of new plantation (over 98 million seedlings) have been established. In addition, 72,072ha of land with poten- tial for afforestation has been identi- fied. The reforested areas are enclosed against livestock grazing with the aim of enhancing natural regeneration. The forest ecosystem spans approx- imately 2,930 km 2 and includes the dense and disturbed highland forest, riverine forest, and coastal mangrove forest. There are two types of forest, namely disturbed Juniperus (conifer- ous) forest and dense and disturbed mixed forest. Both types of forest are found in Semenawi and Debubawi Bahri or the Green Belt, although small, highly disturbed patches of juniper groves are found at Abahane, Kohaito and Soira in the south and Rora Habab in the north. There are several trees and shrubs important for agriculture which are used for food, animal feed, medicine, soil fertility reclamation, shelter and field fences. Most are indigenous tree and shrub species. Eritrean farmers manage in a traditional way a variety of wild species including indigenous trees and shrubs and habitats which benefit the sustainability of both agri- cultural and natural ecosystems. The indigenous wild edible fruits are at risk. These species are found in very limited areas in few numbers, with 21 out of 49 species genetically threatened. The National Tree Plant- ing Campaign has been beneficial which in turn will support Eritrea’s forest resources and also protect the indigenous trees and shrubs at risk. E ritrea is located in the Horn of Africa, north of the equator and covers an area of 124,320 km 2 . It is situated along the important Red Sea oil and shipping route connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean. The country shares boundaries with Sudan to the west, Ethiopia to the south, Djibouti to the south-east and the Red Sea in the east. There are around 390 islands, the prominent being the Dahlak Archipelago. Eritrea can be divided into six agro-ecological zones: moist highlands, arid highlands, subhumid highlands, moist lowlands, arid lowlands and semi-desert lands. Elevation ranges from 100m (semi-desert) to 3,000m (moist highlands). Mean annual temperature ranges from 15°C in the moist and arid highlands to 32°c in the semi-desert. Annual precipitation varies from less than 200mm in the semi-desert to 1,100mm in the sub-humid zone. Eritrea’s Landscape between Asmara and Massawa Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons License. Author: Hansueli Krapf Eritrea