| Abstract: | Ethiopia, being a landlocked country since 1993, is fortunate in being blessed with a
number of inland water bodies, such as, lakes, rivers, reservoirs, ponds and wetlands
including marshes, floodpSain and swamps. These aquatic habitats provide many socioeconomic
and a wide range of ecological services. The Ethiopian Rift Valley is part of the
Great East African Rift Valley and its floor contains many lakes which arc home for about
30 different fish species. The Rift Valley is also the region where relatively many alien fish
species were introduced. Some of the Rift Valley lakes arc used for commercial fisheries,
irrigation, recreation, renewable energy supplies and for some industrial purposes.
However, many anthropogenic activities like deforestation, habitat destruction, poor soil
and water conservation practices, pollution by organic and inorganic chemicals from
different sources, introduction of alien species and over fishing arc considered as the major
challenges of the area. These activities are directly or indirectly affect the water quality and
quantity of the lakes, as well as, water supplying rivers and thereby threatening the fish
diversity. Therefore, executing environmental impact assessment before approving any
investment projects', -'and enforcing industries to have waste treatment plants (like
constructed wetlands) as integral part of the production system, and developing and
encouraging ecotourism activities should be taken as an intervention measures to sustain
the ecological and socioeconomic benefit of the resource for both the present and future
generations. |
