Yayu Coffee Forest

Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

June 2018

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 1

2 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan
 YAYU COFFEE FOREST BIOSPHARE
RESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN

Oromia Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Authority and Oromia Forest and WildLife Enterprise

Facilitated and supported by:

Production coordinator: Zerihun Dejene

Layout Design: Philmon Press P.l.c
Consultant: Motion Consultancy and Training P.L.C

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 3

4 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan
Approval Page
Oromia Environment, Forest and Climate Change Authority and Oromia Forest and
Wildlife Enterprise have approved this management plan to be used in Yayu Coffee
Forest Biosphere Reserve Area.

Stamp and Signature:

_______________________________

Oromia Environment Forest and Climate Change Authority:

_______________________________

Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise:

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 5

Acknowledgment

T his management plan would not have been possible without the leadership support and
professional guidance of Oromia Environment, Forest and Climate Change Authority and Oromia
Forest and Wildlife Enterprise. Both took their time, expertise and values to guide and enrich the
management measures proposed by this management plan.

Especial thanks to Illu Aba Bora Zone Administration, Zonal OFWE, Illu Aba Bora Zonal sector offices,
Doreni, Alge sachi, Nopa, Hurumu, Doreni, Yayu and Chora woreda administration and sector offices in
each woreda. We are most grateful to all of them,

We also extends our deepest thanks to all participants of the one hundred focus group discussions
at village level as well as the stakeholder workshops participants at woreda, zonal and regional
level. The core of the management plan is made of the shared information, data, insights, views and
recommendations of these participants.

PHE EC, the community in Yayu Biosphere Reserve and the government would like to gratefully
acknowledge the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) for its financial contribution for the
realization of this management plan.

We are also grateful to the funding received through UNIQUE/NABU consortium from GIZ to support
the development of this management plan.

6 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

Table of Contents

LIST OF TABLES ............IX

LIST OF FIGURES............X

ACRONYM............XIII

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............1

PART I- INTRODUCTION............3

1.1 BACKGROUND............3
1.2 CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT- THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY............3
1.3 THE CURRENT STATE OF FOREST CONSERVATION IN ETHIOPIA............5
1.4 THE CONCEPT AND IMPORTANCE OF BIOSPHERE RESERVE............7
1.5 BIOSPHERE RESERVES IN ETHIOPIA............10
1.6 POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORKS FOR BIOSPHERES IN ETHIOPIA............10

PART II: YAYU COFFEE FOREST BIOSPHERE RESERVE............14

2.1 BACKGROUND............14
2.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA............14
2.3 BENEFITS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF YCFBR............20
2.4 MAJOR CHALLENGES OF YCFBR............24

PART III: METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH OF THE MANAGEMENT PLAN’S

DEVELOPMENT........31

3.1 METHODS............31
3.2 APPROACH............32
3.3. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION............38

PARTIV: MANAGEMENT PLAN SPECIFICATION............39

4.1 INTRODUCTION............39
4.2 VISION, MISSION, AND GOAL OF THE MANAGEMENT PLAN............39
4.3 PRINCIPLES AND VALUES............40
4.4 MAJOR OUTCOMES AND DELIVERABLES............42
4.5 SECTOR WISE PROPOSED MANAGEMENT ACTIONS............43
4.6 MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES............54
4.7 STAKEHOLDERS’ ENGAGEMENT AND THEIR ROLE............56
4.8 LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT............62
4.9 RESEARCH, MONITORING AND COMMUNICATION............64
4.10 RESOURCE MOBILIZATION............65
4.11 INDICATORS, MONITORING AND REVIEW............67

PART V: CONCLUDING REMARKS AND RECOMMENDATIONS............70

5.1 CONCLUDING REMARKS............70

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS............71

ANNEXES............73

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 7

List of Tables
Table 1. Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Zonation............18
Table 2. List of woredas and population of Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere reserve............19
Table 3. Tourism potential sites within the Biosphere............22
Table 4. Population growth of the six woredas found in the Yayu Coffee Forest
Biosphere Reserve............25
Table 5. Number of participants participated in the community conversation about the
BR management plan............38
Table 6. Management plan outcomes............43
Table 7. Recommended Actions for Conservation and Natural Resource Management and
Tourism in the YCFBR............44
Table 8. Recommended actions for Agriculture activities in the Yayu Biosphere Reserve............47
Table 9. Recommended actions for Green Entrepreneurship in Yayu Forest Coffee Biosphere
Reserve including Investment, EIA and Climate Changes............50
Table 10. Recommended Actions for Research, Monitoring and Communication............52
Table 12. Stakeholder Analysis and Interest Groups ............57
Table 13. Stakeholders of YCFBR identified and their roles (expected activities and actions)............60
Table 14. Indicators to monitor the implementation of participatory management
agreement............69

List of Figures
Figure 1 Status of terrestrial ecoregions............4
Figure 2 MAB principles............9
Figure 3 Woredas surrounding the YCFBR............15
Figure 4 Kebeles surrounding the YCFBR............20
Figure 5 Model for engaging stakeholders in community management planning............24
Figure 6 Land use/Land cover in the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve............30
Figure 7 Process of Management Plan Preparation............32
Figure 8 Schematic methodological flow chart............35
Figure 9 The BR management planning cycle............63
Figure 10 Proposed Management Structure............64

List of Annexes
Annex: 1 Summary of BR Management Plan Proposed by the Community and Compiled
by the Kebele Management Team............73
Annex: 2 Summary of Stakeholders’ Perspective at Zonal and Woreda Level............74
Annex: 3 Annex List of restricted activities in the buffer Zone and Core area............75
Annex: 4 Data Collection Guide for the Community Planning Team............76
Annex: 5 Checklist Employed During the Transect Walk............78

8 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

Acronym
ABS Access and Benefit Sharing
ADLI Agriculture Development-Led Industrialization
BI Biodiversity International
BMP Biosphere reserve management Plan
BR Biosphere reserve
CA Conservation Agriculture
CAADP Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity
CBOs Community Based Organizations
CBNRM Community Based Natural Resource Management
CI Conservation International
CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
CRGE Climate Resilient Green Economy
CSE Conservation Strategy of Ethiopia
CSO Civil Society Organization
DFID Department for International Development
EIAR Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research
EIB Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
FRC Forestry Research Centre
GE Green Entrepreneurship
GEF Global Environmental Facility
GEMS Global Environmental Monitoring System
GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
GTP Growth and Transformation plan
Ha Hectare
IBC Institute of Biodiversity Conservation
ICSU International Council for Science
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
IPGRI International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature
MAB Man and Biosphere
MANR Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources
MEFCC Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
MELCA Movement for Ecological Learning and Community Action
MoCT Ministry of Culture and Tourism
MoST Ministry of Science and Technology
MWEI Ministry of Water, Energy and Irrigation
NABU Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union
NBI Nile Basin Initiative
NCS National Conservation Strategy
NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
NTFP Non-Timber Forest Product
OCFCU Oromia Coffee Forest Cooperative Union
OEFCCA Oromia Environment, Forest and Climate Change Authority
OFWE Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise
ORS Oromia Regional State
PASDEP Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty
PES Payment for Environmental Services
PFM Participatory Forest Management
PHE-EC Population, Health and Environment- Ethiopia Consortium

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 9

PPP Public-Private Partnership
PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal
RCS Regional Conservation Strategy
REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and
the role of conservation
SDG Sustainable Development Goal
SDPRP Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Programs
SEDA Small Enterprise Development Agency
SNV Netherlands Development Organization
UNCCD UN Convention to Combat Desertification
UNCED United Nation Conference on Environment and Development
UNDP United Development program
UNEP United Nations Environment Program
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNFCCC UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
USAID United States Agency for International Development
WNBR World Network Biosphere reserve
WRI World Resources Institute
WWF World Wide Fund for Nature
YCFBR Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere reserve

10 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

Executive Summary

egistered in 2010, Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere reserve is one of the five UNESCO’s registered
R biosphere reserves in Ethiopia. It is located in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, in Ilu Aba Bora and
Bunno-Bedele Zones. The Biosphere is part of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot and
one of the largest and most important forest areas with the wild populations of Arabica coffee.

In agreement with Article 4.7(b) of the statutory framework of the world Network of biosphere re-
serves and modern conservation principles, this management plan integrates the three functions
of the biosphere reserve. It incorporates conservation strategies of the biodiversity resource, the
sustainable ways of achieving the development goals of the local communities by considering the
traditional, cultural and spiritual aspects and the possible logistic functions.

The management plan represents a guiding document for all stakeholders engaged with Yayu
Biosphere Reserve over the next ten years, but to be revised in five years, forms the basis on which
activities, plans and implementation undertaking in the Biosphere must refer to.

This plan was developed through extensive participation of the local communities, government
offices, civil societies, institutions, private sector representatives and representatives from major
investments in the area. About ten thousand community members have been part of community
conversation on the management of the biosphere and identified challenges, proposed actions
and described community roles and responsibilities. In addition, a technical team at regional level
from eleven different offices including MOST, MEFCC, OEFCCA, OFWE, ECFF, GIZ/UNIQUE/NABU,
PHE-EC and EWNHS has followed the process of the management plan preparation and provide
guidance throughout the planning period

The planning process was driven by the desire to have a plan for the YCFBR due to its unique val-
ues, threats towards its conservation and the need to address various management constraints.
There are also considerable environmental and economic values that support livelihoods of the
communities within and adjacent to the BR and beyond. The plan embraces collaborative and
participatory approaches in conservation and management of natural resources that will lead
to ownership of the initiatives by the stakeholders. The plan supports sustainable utilization of
natural resources by promoting environmental friendly activities, while enhancing biodiversity
conservation. Consultations were convened at regional, zonal, woreda, and kebele level and a
consensus was reached among the participants through workshop and discussions. Through the
discussions, key problems which mainly related to socio-economic, conservation, coordination
and communications were identified with their potential directions. Accordingly, the following
vision and mission were developed for the coming ten years (2018-2028).

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve management is envisioned to create:

Healthy, integrated and well-functioning biosphere reserve that supports the livelihood of
the local community in a sustainable way by 2028.

And its mission statement is:

Promote a sustainable balance among the conservation of biodiversity, compatible eco-

nomic use, and cultural values, through public and private partnership interdisciplinary re-
search, education and communication.

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve has the potential to play a significant role for the local com-
munity, the region and the nation to experiment sustainable development. It is a high value com-
munity asset, not a commercial commodity, and requires a special attention, approach and effort
to realize its immense importance. The objectives of this management plan are therefore destined
to address these unique aspects. The general objective is to support and strengthening of respon-
sible management activities and decisions and realizes conservation of the biodiversity and natu-
ral resources of the Biosphere reserve and to ensure sustainable and equitable use of the resource
thereof. The specific objectives include:

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 11

 Promote conservation of landscapes, ecosystem, species and genetic resources.

 Foster economic and human development that is socially, culturally and ecologically sustainable

 Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Established and Strengthened

 Recognize the Seville strategy and advance the overall goals of the Lima action plan program.

 Communication and Public Relationship Strategies Developed

Major actions proposed to be implemented by multiple actors include the establishment of a
management unit, completed physical demarcation, continuous monitoring and evaluation, in-
formation sharing, job creation, agricultural improvement extension programs, provision of al-
ternative energy sources, provision of basic infrastructure and social services, mitigation of illegal
settlement by controlling immigration at macro and local levels, and strict realization of family
planning. Accordingly, cutting trees illegally for timber production, coffee plantations in the buf-
fer zone, in the core area, firewood collection, charcoal production, settlement/residence, farming
expansion into buffer zone and core area, grazing/browsing of domestic animals, investment and
illegal hunting of wild animals in buffer and core areas are restricted activities.

The management plan proposed an establishment of a biosphere desk at regional level, a man-
agement unit at zonal level, and focal experts at Woreda and Kebele level that promotes effective
Biosphere reserve (BR) implementation process and empowerment and coordination of stake-
holders. The unit is proposed (by a team of consultants who have done institutional analysis) to be
coordinated and supported by Oromia Environment Forest and Climate Change Authority and/
or Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise. All stakeholders, partners, community segments/institu-
tions, government, private, and CSOs (stakeholders’ analysis) were listed with their respective roles
for the conservation of YCFBR (actions and deliverables).

The plan has four conservation and development programs, namely conservation and protection,
sustainable economic development, private-public partnership to enhance green entrepreneur-
ship and communication including human capital and research& monitoring program. Each pro-
gram has specific management objective/deliverables with corresponding activities targets and
year of implementation.

12 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

PART I - Introduction

1.1 Background
opulation, Health and Environment Ethiopia Consortium (PHEC EC) in collaboration with Oro-
P mia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise (OFWE) has implemented a project in Yayu Coffee Forest Bio-
sphere Reserve (YCFBR) with an intent to improve the management of the Biosphere reserve so
that conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functions will be improved while enhancing the
livelihood of the community living in and around the biosphere. As one instrument, participatory
biosphere management is introduced using a multi-sectoral multi-stakeholder task-forces as plat-
forms. Task-forces have been established starting from kebele to zonal level to actively participate
in the biosphere management and make joint decisions concerning the biosphere reserve. The
Ilu Aba Bora zonal task-force which consists nearly all stakeholders working in the biosphere, has
found preparing a management plan for the biosphere would help the task-forces effort as well as
to guide all stakeholders actions in the biosphere. The process enacted and PHE EC took coordina-
tion role as well as financial contribution. GIZ Biodiversity Program through UNIQUE/NABU con-
sortium has also shares this necessity and joined PHE EC to contribute financially and technically.
Accordingly, the process outlined and agreed, technical committee at regional level established,
consultant hired and the process began. In the middle of the process, Oromia Environment Forest
and Climate Change Authority (OEFCCA) joined OFWE to provide effective leadership and both
make the wonderful end possible.

1.2. Conservation and Sustainable Development- The current state of play

Following the Brundtland Report “Our Common Future” in 1987 that has given birth to the earth
summit in 1992,1 the term sustainable development has become the top agenda of the develop-
ment programs of nations. Sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the
needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.” Nonetheless, for the last 25 years, the impact of climate change alarmed the
world leaders with various issues that cannot be managed with the conventional approach.

Currently, population growth and patterns of consumption, which lead to increased demand for
ecosystem services and energy, are the most important drivers threatening biodiversity resourc-
es. These drivers result in pressures that have direct impacts on ecosystems, species and genetic
resources. Given energy is a fundamental requirement for supporting development in all econo-
mies, the challenge to sustainable energy is also one of the major challenges driving the loss of
biodiversity.

In September 2015, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and its partner countries
endorsed the 17 sustainable development goals that replace the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) with the objective of achieving its 17 sustainable development goals by 2030. The new
set of goals, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims to end poverty and hunger by 2030.
World leaders, recognizing the connection between people and planet, have set goals for the land,
the oceans and the waterways. Among the 17 SDGs, the goals 13, 15 and 17 are directly linked to
the objective of YBR management objectives in our context. Furthermore, the other SDGs are also
linked with the vision of the Biosphere reserve management objectives that outlined by UNESCO2.
The destruction of forest and loss of biodiversity has significant negative impact on ecological,
economic as well as social aspects. The problem is further aggravated by the prevailing climate
change and unsustainable investment and development path. The drivers and pressures of
change have created a great strain in most of the Eco-regions in Sub-Saharan Africa that put the
region under serious threat (Figure 1). Tropical moist forests contain by far the highest number
of threatened species, followed by tropical dry forests, montane grasslands, and dry shrub-lands.

1. At the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held at Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 in which Ethiopia
was represented at Prime Minister Level, leaders of the world urged development at global and country levels.
2. [Link]

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 13

Figure 1 - Status of terrestrial ecoregions 3
The current rate of species extinction is 100 times higher than the baseline rate shown by the fossil
record. The losses are mostly associated to a range of pressures related to land-use change and
habitat destruction. Responses to the continuing loss and degradation of biodiversity are varied
and include further designation of protected areas. There are recent signs of an emerging con-
sensus that biodiversity conservation and sustainable development are inextricably linked. This
calls for effective and innovative approaches for simultaneous achievement of conservation and
development goals.

1.3. The current state of Forest conservation in Ethiopia

Brief description of Vegetation composition of Ethiopia

Ethiopia is endowed with a large variety of plant and Livestock species. The ecological regions
of Ethiopia are characterized by a great biodiversity of birds and wild animals supported by nu-
merous species of plants. The flora of Ethiopia consists of many types of vegetation, flowers, and
plants depending on altitudinal gradients. The different climatic and geological zones of Ethiopia
provide different types of plant species. Alpines and evergreen plants dominate the country’s flo-
ra. Some of the plants of Ethiopia are briefly described below.

The Ethiopian vegetation is broadly divided by Friis, Demissew& Van Bruegel (20114) and IBC (2005
5
) as desert and semi-desert scrubland, Acacia-Commiphora woodland and wooded grassland of
the Rift valley, wooded grassland of the western Gambella region, Combretum–Terminalia wood-
land and wooded grassland, dry evergreen Afromontane forest and grassland complex, Moist ev-
ergreen. Afromontane forest, transitional rainforest, ericaceous belt, Afroalpine vegetation-Sub/
Afroalpine habitat occurs at a high altitude, riverine vegetation, freshwater lakes (including lake
shores, marshes, swamps and floodplain vegetation), and salt water lakes (including lake shores,
salt marshes and pan vegetation). Accordingly, the forest in YCFBR is part of the moist montane
rainforest such as humid broadleaved and lowlands semi-evergreen forest of Ethiopia (Friis 19866
, Gole et al 20077). The Afromontane rainforests occur in the south-western plateau and in the
south-western part of the south-eastern highlands at altitudes between 1500 m and 2600 m. The
Afromontane is the only remaining coffee forest which is source of Coffee arabica. The specific
vegetation composition for YCFBR is described in PARTII.

Conservation status

3. Most of the ecoregions in Ethiopia fall under critically endangered or vulnerable (Source: UNEP 2007)
4. Friis, I.B., Demissew, S. & Van, Bruegel P. (2011) Atlas of the Potential Vegetation of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa University
Press and Shama Books, Addis Ababa 307 pp.
5. EBI/IBC (2005). National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

14 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

In the era of climate change, sustainable management of resources is not only an option for pre-
serving biodiversity but also an insurance to sustain livelihood at community level. Unlike the
“conventional conservation approach” that disconnect the community from their resources, sev-
eral options have emerged during the last three decades in connection with the natural resources
protection, conservation and utilization. Accordingly, the Biosphere reserve concept was intro-
duced to ensure the conservation of biodiversity resources while ensuring the involvement and
benefit of the community. It is an approach of ‘’ conservation-through utilization’’.

Due to the complex topographic features, environmental heterogeneity and edaphic and climatic
factors, Ethiopia has immense ecological diversity, and its habitats are suitable for a wide range of
life forms. The number of vascular plants is estimated between 6000 and 7000 species, of which
about 12% are endemic. Vegetation types in Ethiopia are highly diverse ranging from afro-alpine
to desert/semi desert vegetation (Demel Teketay, 20048).

Different sources indicate that about 35–40% of the country’s land area used to be covered with
forests at the turn of the 19th Century, although there is still controversy about the exact past
cover of forests in the country (FRA, 20159 , Million Bekele (FOSA), 200110 ; FAO, 201011 ). However,
rapid population growth, extensive forest clearing for cultivation and over-grazing, movement
of political centers, and exploitation of forests for fuel wood and construction materials, without
replanting, has reduced the forest area of the country to 16% in the 1950’s and to less than 2.7%
(EFAP², 1994 )in 1994. Consequently, large areas of the country are exposed to heavy soil erosion
that has resulted in a decline in fertility and productivity of the land and the drying of many pe-
rennial rivers and lakes. Soil loss through erosion has been estimated at a rate of about 2 billion
tons per year (EFAP, 199412), resulting in a massive environmental degradation and serious threat
to sustainable agriculture and forestry. However, according to World Bank report, at present, the
coverage improved to 12.5%13.

The situation is exacerbated by pressure from poverty and an ever-increasing population. The few
remaining moist Afromontane forests, mostly concentrated in the southwest of Ethiopia, are still
under a serious threat and require rescuing.

The southwestern Afromontane forests, including the cloud forests, are among the few remain-
ing moist high forests of the country. The Afromontane cloud forests are rare forests in tropical
mountains which have not received adequate attention despite their exceptional concentration
of biodiversity and freshwater. The southwest Ethiopian Afromontane forests are considered as
invaluable genetic resources. The wealth of biodiversity includes the wild relatives as ad source
of genetic diversity of our staple crops such as beans, potatoes and coffee (UNEP-WCMC, 2004).
Specifically, it is known as the center of origin and diversity for Coffee arabica and other plants
species that have immense value for the local communities. However, this unique and fragile eco-
system is suffering from anthropogenic pressure including unsustainable resource extraction and
management.

Recognizing the significance of the ecosystem and magnitude of the prevailing problems and

6. Friis, I.B (1986). The forest vegetation of Ethiopia. Acta [Link]. Bot. [Link], 31-47. Uppsala, ISBN 91-554-
1956-9
[Link] WoldemariamGole, Thomas Borsch, Manfred Denich, DemelTeketay (2007). Floristic composition and environ-
mental factors characterizing coffee forests in southwest Ethiopia
[Link] D. 2004. Forestry research in Ethiopia: Past, present and future. In: Balcha G, Yeshitela K, Bekele T (eds), Proceed-
ings of a National Conference on Forest Resources of Ethiopia: Status, Challenges and Opportunities (27−29 November
2002). Addis Ababa: IBC and GTZ, pp. 1−39.
[Link] Forest Resources Assessment 2015. Ethiopia Country Report to FAO.
10. Million Bekele [Link] Outlook Studies in Africa.
[Link] 2010. Global Forest Resources Assessment, Ethiopia Country report.
[Link] Forestry Action Program (EFAP). 1994, Volume III. The Challenge for Development. Ministry of Natural Re-
sources, Addis Ababa.
[Link] area (% of land area) in Ethiopia was reported at 12.5 % in 2015, according to the World Bank collection of de-
velopment indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources ([Link]
[Link]).

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 15

threats, PHE-EC in Collaboration with UNIQUE/NABU, Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise
(OFWE), Oromia Environment Forest and Climate Change Authority (OEFCCA), Ministry of Science
and Technology (MoST), Zone and Woreda administrations and in Collaboration with UNESCO
Man and Biosphere(MAB) program, has introduced a new conservation approach with the aim of
protection and sustainable utilization of the remaining forest biodiversity. The project envisages a
significant contribution to the preservation of biological diversity particularly that of the wild Cof-
fee arabica. It also targets at reducing Green House Gases (GHG) emission, secure carbon storage
capacities as well as receive allocation of ecosystem services and benefits for the local population
and reduce vulnerability to climate change. Hence, the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere reserve (YCF-
BR) is an area of global significance owing to both its natural components (natural capital) and its
human inhabitants and their cultures and traditions (human capital).

The primary challenge the Biosphere Reserve facing is to balance the management and utilization
of the inherent natural capital and the human capital of the area with the goal to ensure long-term
sustainability. Building the capacity of the local community is the high priority in this regard. Con-
sidering this rational, the participatory management plan is developed to promote the manage-
ment and sustainable development of YCFBR to optimize its social and economic benefits while
safeguarding the conservation of the remaining forest biodiversity.

The sustainability of Biosphere reserves and other conservation issues depends on to what extent
the society is oriented towards sustainability which require the empowerment, support and active
participation of the local community. This can be achieved through participatory approaches fol-
lowing both formal and informal ways. The current management plan therefore, aimed at creating
a platform for active engagement among the relevant stakeholders for sustainable utilization and
management of the biosphere reserve. Furthermore, this management plan provides guidance in
presenting the local community and relevant institutions about the Biosphere Reserve concept,
process, sustainability and management strategies for Yayu and enables them to act locally while
understanding the global context and effects of their decisions now and in the future.

The management plan was designed in a way to help the local community and implementing
government institutions to understand both the ecological, economic and social dimensions of
the biosphere reserve biodiversity resources at local, national and global context.

1.4. The concept and importance of Biosphere reserve

The Concept of Biosphere Reserve

Biosphere Reserves (BRs) are sites recognized under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere re-
serve(MAB) Program to promote sustainable development, integrated science and conservation
of biological and cultural diversity through partnerships between people and nature.

The worldwide network of biosphere reserves, (UNESCO, 200814), provides an international frame-
work for education and research, as well as the demonstration and implementation of sustainable
resource use. Currently there are 699 15 biosphere reserves in 120 countries, including 20 trans-
boundary sites. Among this biosphere reserves, 75 are found in 28 African countries of which 5
are found in Ethiopia. Biosphere reserves principally have three zones: core area, Transition area
and buffer zone. Over the last four decades biosphere reserves have evolved from conservation
sites to model areas for sustainable development. In the beginning, little attention was paid to the
Transition area, the outer territory of the three zones of biosphere reserves, where activities relat-
ing to the development role could take place. One major reason for this was the fact that, while
one authority usually managed core areas, the buffer zones and Transition areas were owned and
managed by a variety of public and private actors (Batisse,161986).
At the International Conference on Biosphere reserves in Seville in March 1995, biosphere reserves
were envisaged as guides to the 21st century, “showing a way to a more sustainable future” (UN-
ESCO, 1996, p.3 17). Such statements indicated a further shift from traditional nature conserva-
tion towards the integration of global environmental aspects and resource use in the concept of
biosphere reserves. In the Seville Strategy for Biosphere reserves, three primary functions were
identified: conservation, development, and logistic support. Further, the strategy sets four overar-
ching groups of goals and three lists of implementation indicators for the international, national,
and individual reserve levels. At least five of the 24 indicators on the individual reserve level refer

16 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

directly to the potential role of biosphere reserve administration as an initiator and coordinator of
efforts to make planning more organized and participatory.

These indicators,among other things, call for the biosphere reserve administration to

 Make a survey of stakeholder interests,

 Create mechanisms for managing, coordinating, and integrating its own programs and
activities,

 Establish a local consultative framework,

 Ensure the existence of a local educational and training program, and

 Involve the local community in planning and managing the biosphere reserve.

What is a Biosphere Reserve?

A cornerstone of the concept of sustainable development is the conviction that nature and hu-
mans can co-exist in a harmonious way. This is a paradigm shift from the traditional conservation
approach that separates the community from its resource. Biosphere reserves are natural protect-
ed areas included in a global network organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Participating countries propose land and water sites within their
boundaries as potential Biosphere reserves, and accepted sites are designated at the international
level by UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Reserve(MAB) Program with the policy support from
Ministry of Science and Technology and regional stakeholders.

To qualify for acceptance as a BR, a protected area must have global and/or regional significance
for biological conservation, one or more inviolate core areas, and one or more surrounding buffer
zones or transition areas where human communities utilize natural resources in ecologically sus-
tainable ways. UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Reserve (MAB) Program was launched in 1971
with the aim of promoting interdisciplinary research, training, and communications in the field of
ecosystem conservation and the rational use of natural resources.

The concept of BRs as it was articulated at the Man and the Biosphere ReserveConference in Se-
ville in 1995 presumes that BR, besides being instruments for conservation of biological diversity,
research, and educational activities, should be treated as model areas to test the idea of sustain-
able development. Biosphere reserves should become models for the implementation of mitiga-
tion and adaptation strategies which address the threats of climate change.

[Link]. 2008. Complete list of biosphere reserves. [Link]/mab/BRs/[Link]

15. [Link]/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserve
[Link], M.1986. Developing and focusing the biosphere reserve concept. Nature and Resources 22/3: 2–11.
[Link].1996. Biosphere reserves: The Seville Strategy and the statutory framework of the world network. Paris: UN-
ESCO MAB.

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 17

Figure 2 MAB principles
Source:UNESCO, 1996 18
Why do we need a Biosphere Reserve?

Biosphere reserves have multiple functions that include conservation, sustainable development,
research and monitoring, training and education. The concept of biosphere reserves has influ-
enced the overall understanding of the relationship between humans and nature and has em-
phasized the need to find a balance between nature conservation and sustainable use. Biosphere
reserves have a great influence on socio-economic issues and therefore play an important role in
relation to poverty reduction and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In many cases, biosphere reserves are sources of hope for local communities that perceive them
as a viable option for enhancing their livelihoods.

Implementing the Concept

Functionally, BRs implement the MAB concept at local context through:

 In situ conservation of the diversity of natural and semi-natural ecosystems and landscapes,

 Establishment of demonstration areas for ecologically sustainable resource use, and

 Provision of logistic support for research, monitoring, education, and training related to
conservation and sustainable development.

Making biosphere reserves more functional in conserving biological diversity is a major interna-
tional objective. Many BRs are involved in conservation, research, and environmental education ac-
tivities that are particularly emphasized in the national parks and research reserves that comprise
most of the current BR network. Activities requiring a high degree of stakeholder cooperation- i.e.,
local participation, integrated planning, and sustainable development-are being undertaken by
a much smaller number of BRs. Finally, only a few BRs are involved in national and international
cooperative activities that are required for BRs to achieve their full potential in addressing global
conservation and development issues.
1.5. Biosphere reserves in Ethiopia
To date, there are five BRs in Ethiopia including Yayu BR which was registered in 2010, Kafa, Sheka
and Tana and the recently established, Majang ForestBiosphere reserve. The preparation of the
YCFBR management plan do not startfrom the scratch rather ittook an advantage and supple-
mented from the previous BR management plan process and approaches and tried to improve
some of the drawbacks of the management plan [Link], the sharing of experiences
is limited to some extent due to socio-economic and environmental contexts of the biospheres

18. UNESCO, 1996. Biosphere reserve. The Seville Strategy and the Statutory Framework of the World Network UNESCO,
Paris

18 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

in different parts of the country. Nevertheless, much can be learned from the Kafa and Sheka BR
than Tana BR. The Tana BR is different in socio-cultural and environmental settings of the bio-
sphere reservewhereas Sheka and Kafa share some communality with YCFBR. The consultant has
been reviewed the management plan of other BR prior to design and start the management plan
for [Link] key elements that was consulted regarding methodologicalapproaches and imple-
mentation strategies.

1.6. Policy and legal Frameworks for Biospheres in Ethiopia

The overall policy and legal frameworks, in which various conventions and conservation endeav-
ors are embedded and that determines the wider decision-making context, consists of the follow-
ing strategies and policies (for further reading refer to UNESCO 201119): Article 52 of the Constitu-
tion of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia states that all nations and nationalities have
the right to live in a clean environment.

Ethiopia´s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper called Sustainable Development and Poverty Re-
duction Programs (SDPRP) was prepared in 2002, prioritizing the following areas for action: land
degradation, the strengthening of regulatory and institutional capacity, and the enhancement
and protection of biodiversity. Build on this, Ethiopia prepared a Plan for Accelerated and Sus-
tained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP) in 2005 which “aims to mainstream environmental
concerns into development, to strengthen city and regional governments for environmental pro-
tection and to develop regulatory frameworks and systems for alleviating deforestation and soil
degradation, which are major causes of food insecurity and poverty in Ethiopia “(IFAD 2007: 920).

Ethiopia´s role in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), which includes
the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) aims at fostering a broad-
based agricultural-led economic growth in African countries by focusing on enhancing agricultural
productivity and competitiveness. In this context, Ethiopia has issued the Agriculture Develop-
ment-Led Industrialization (ADLI) strategy as being the country´s core economic development
strategy (MoA, 200921).

With respect to water policies, Ethiopia is a member of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) of the Nile
riparian countries as equal members in a regional partnership to promote economic development
and fight poverty throughout the basin. It is guided by the vision “to achieve socio-economic
development through the equitable utilization and benefit from the common Nile Basin water
resources” (NBI, 2011). As the tributary of the Blue Nile, the YCFBR plays a crucial geopolitical role
in utilization and conservation of the Nile water resources.

Ethiopia has a wide range of national policies that commit the country to a comprehensive and
integrated management system for the protected areas and institutions mandated for promoting
sustainable development and biodiversity conservation.

Box 1: Overview of key policies, conventions and institutions for BR related issues

19. UNESCO (2011): World Network of Biosphere reserves 2010: Sites for Sustainable Development. Paris, France
20. IFAD (2007): Community-Based Integrated Natural Resources Management Project in Lake Tana Watershed-Ethiopia.
IFAD Project Document (Third Draft: 31. August 2007), Government of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia & International
Fund for Agricultural Development
21. Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) (2009): Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program. Ethiopia Study. Vol-
ume II. Addis Ababa

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 19

 Conventions: Policies:

• Convention on Biological • Environmental policy: issued in 1997 for a sound management

Diversity (CBD): -EBI engaged and use of natural resources and enforce the need for
in the conservation of flora. Environmental Impact Assessment that ensure the health of
This institution can play role in the natural environment;
plant and Livestock gen pool • National Policy on Biodiversity Conservation and Research
conservation Policy (1998);
• Convention on International Trade • National Conservation Strategy (NCS) of Ethiopia 1997:
in Endangered Species of Wild umbrella strategy that comprises all relevant sectors
Fauna and Flora (CITES): - helps to (agriculture, forestry, wildlife, fisheries, soil, water and
control illegal wildlife trading minerals); sets main objective for biodiversity conservation;
• UN Convention to Combat • Biodiversity Conservation and Development: Strategy and
Desertification UNCCD) Action Plan for Ethiopia, December 2005, by the IBC;
rehabilitation and regeneration of • Rural Development Strategy (2002);
naturalof natural resources • National Food Security Strategy (2003) and Program and
• UN Framework Convention National bio-safety
on Climate Change (UNFCCC): • Forest policy and strategy
-climate change adaptation and • Wild life policy and strategy
mitigation such REDD+

Institutions:

• Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI): established by proclamation; objectives: ensure appropriate

conservation, research, development and sustainable utilization of biodiversity in Ethiopia;
• Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA): Protected Area System focus on management and
conservation of large fauna;
• Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise (OFWE), established bylaws to conserve, protect and sustainably
utilize natural resources in Oromia region
• Forestry Research Centre (FRC):
• National Herbarium: established in 1959, managed by Addis Ababa University
• Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR):
• Ethiopian Forestry Action Program (EFAP): issued in 1994.
• Oromia Environment Forest and Climate Change mandated to coordinate and facilitate environmental
conservation and climate change adaptation

The country has committed itself to issues pertaining to sustainable development and biodiversi-
ty conservation in a number of international conventions (box1summarized, conventions, polices
and institutions, which are synergetic with the objectives of the MAB program, namely the Con-
vention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the World Heritage Convention
(heritage sites as core areas) are institutions who emphasized on climate change mitigation and
adaptation, look after natural and cultural heritages and promote the conservation of important
wetland resources respectively and can play a significant role in Biosphere reserves. These conven-
tions could in parts be fulfilled by the tool of biosphere reserves by developing showcase projects
under the BR umbrella. Protocols between the MAB program and the respective conventions have
already been established (UNESCO, 2011:15-18).

Ethiopia ratified the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 1997 and developed
a National Action Program (NAP) in 1998 focusing on the management of natural resources, the
intensification and diversification of agriculture, the promotion of alternative livelihoods and rural
credit to improve institutional capacity, particularly at the community level. Accordingly, in 2002
the Oromia Regional State government through the Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise (OFWE)

20 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

prepared a Regional Action Program (RAP) to Combat Desertification, within the framework of the
NAP.

The federal and regional governments enacted a wide range of policies, strategies, action plans
and programs against land degradation (IFAD 2007: 9). The country ratified the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1994 and developed its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
(NBSAP) in 2005 to meet the planning requirement of Article 6 of the convention. In addition, the
Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety was ratified in 2003. A “Conservation Strategy of Ethiopia” (CSE)
was developed in 1997 with the help of World Conservation Union (IUCN) and accordingly, the
Oromia Regional State (ORS) formulated and developed a Regional Conservation Strategy (RCS) in
1999 with the overall objective of conserving and protecting the natural resources and environ-
ment of the region.

As a party to the CBD and in fulfillment of its obligation, Ethiopia prepared the final draft of its
biosafety law in 2007. “The NBSAP document defines the current status of, pressure on, options
for, and priority action to ensure the conservation, sustainable use, and equitable share of benefits
accrued from the use of biological diversity of the country” (IFAD, 2007: 9). In the face of the still
ongoing serious deforestation and overall environmental degradation, Ethiopia issued a 20 years
Ethiopian Forestry Action Program (EFAP). In line with this, ORS developed the Oromia Forestry
Action Program (OFAP) in 1999 with the objectives of (a) increasing output of forest products
on a sustainable basis; (b) increasing agricultural production through reduced land degradation;
(c) increasing soil fertility; (d) conserving forest ecosystems as well as coffee and other genetic
resources; and (e) improving the welfare of rural communities (IFAD, 2007: 9). However, these ob-
jectives were not realized on the ground due to lack of appropriate organ primarily responsible for
implementing the plan by identifying restricted activities and zonation of the biosphere reserve.

The country has also developed the second Growth and Transformation plan (GTP 2) for the com-
ing five years, with the objective of reaching to middle income countries by 2025 and ensures
sustainable development by all sectors. In addition, the country launches Climate Resilient Green
Economy (CRGE) in Durban, South Africa in 2011. CRGE is aimed to achieve reaching the mid-
dle-income country by 2025 through building climate resilience economy and reducing green-
house gas emission.

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 21

PART II: Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere reserve
2.1 Background
he Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere reserve is one of the 5 UNESCO registered biosphere reserves
T in Ethiopia. It was designated as UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2010 in order to conserve and
sustainably use the wild populations of Arabica coffee (coffee arabica) and associated forest biodi-
versity. The forest is part of the Afromontane rainforest in south-western Ethiopia, and the largest
and most important forest area with the wild populations of Arabica coffee.

The Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere reserve is one of the largest and ecologically most important
in Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa, and global interest for coffee gene pool, indigenous plants, Ani-
mals and bird species. Numerous rivers surround the whole biosphere reserveflows into the Blue
Nile basin year-round. Despite the immense socio-economic significance that can be exploited
through sustainable management of the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere reserve, these resources
are currently under severe pressure due to mismanagement, water and land-based human activi-
ties, jeopardizing the natural services that they provide.

The ever-increasing human population coupled with unwise land use and farming systems, un-
sustainable forms of agricultural intensification, and catchment degradation has resulted in seri-
ous degradation of these important forest resources. These coupled with the impacts of climate
change leads to economic destabilization and habitat destruction and loss. This calls for urgent
conservation action undertakings in the Yayu forest biocultural resources as a cure against the pre-
vailing high risk and the resulting tremendous effects overall Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere reserve
territory. To restore and sustain the ecological functioning of forest resources, the introduction of
participatory sustainable Biosphere reserve management and offering alternative use options for
coffee forest resources in the proposed biosphere reserve area could be an appropriate option.

2.2 Description of the area

The Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere reserveis located in the Illu Abba Borand Buno-BedeleZones
Administration of the Oromia regional state, Southwest, Ethiopia. The Yayu Coffee Forest Bio-
sphere reservein its current format covers approximately 167,021 ha. The entire biosphere reserve
is stretched over six woredas: Doreni, Yayu, Bilo-Nopa, Algie-Sachi, Hurumu and Chora. Doreni-
woreda is fully falls within the boundary of the biosphere reserve, and the transition areas of this
woreda falls right in between two blocks of the buffer and core areas of the biosphere reserve
(Figure 2). Over 50% of the core area of the biosphere reserve also falls within this woreda. Hence,
the communities residing in this woreda play an important role on the fate of the biosphere re-
serve. The proposed management plan covers all six Biosphere Reserveeco-regions to ensure its
sustainable management and economic benefits.

22 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

Figure 3 Woredas surrounding the YCFBR

Source: ECCF Archiveand adopted in 2016 by AndreasSchubert from Biodiversity and Forestry Program

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve consists of a single contiguous area covered by a matrix of
interrelated land use zones. These zones or areas comprise core conservation areas linked togeth-
er and protected by a network of interrelated buffer zone and transition areas.

Core Area

The core area is a strictly protected reserve area where all kinds of human interaction should be
avoided, except for research and monitoring of the natural vegetation dynamics. The areas to be
selected for such zones should also undisturbed high forest with wild coffee population struc-
ture and composition of other plants (Gole et al 2002 22).The designated core conservation areas
consist of the five Woredas within the IlluAbba Bor Zone and one woreda in Buno-Bedele Zone,
Oromia Regional State of the Federal Government of Ethiopia. The total extent of the core conser-
vation area is approximately 27,733 ha. The designated core conservation areas comprise entire
ecosystems and habitats, or meaningful portions thereof, including the following:
23
a) Patch of the world’s only remaining intact of Eastern Afromontanerainforest within which

[Link] WoldermariamGole, M. Denich, DemelTeketay and P.L.G. Vlek (2002). Human Impacts on the Coffee arabica
gene pool in Ethiopia and the Need for its in-situ Conservation. Managing Plant Genetic Diversity eds J.M.M. Engels, V.
Ramanatha Rao, A.H.D. Brown and M.T. Jackson

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 23

 the endemic and critically endangered Coffee Arabica L. (Rubiaceae) grows wild,

b) The East Afromontane Biodiversity hotspot which is one of the world’s most important bio-
diversity hotspots,

c) Rare wetland habitats and marshes, including riparian vegetation,

d) Unique avifaunal biodiversity sites,

e) Endangered habitats of the endemic fauna such as Gentle Monkey, De Brazza’s Monkey and
Guereza (Colobus monkey).

f ) Conservation-worthy, river systems and streams including those flooded into Blue Nile basin.

The key functions and characteristics of the core conservation areas are as follows:

(i) The core area comprises and protects a variety of representative ecosystems and habitats of
various endemic and/or endangered species,

(ii) It represents benchmarks (‘a base-datum of normality or wildness’) as standards for environ-
mental health and self-sustaining ecosystems,

(iii) It provides secure refugee for source endemic and unique populations and biodiversity,

(iv) They are managed in such a way as to allow natural processes to continue without undesir-
able human interference,

(v) It contains ecological, geological, cultural or other features of scientific, education, scenic,
historical or cultural value, and

(vi) It provides opportunities for long and short-term research and monitoring programs, as
well as non-consumptive use.

Buffer Zone

Buffer Zone is slightly disturbed forest zone, where collection of non-timber forest products and
honey is allowed. Collection of wildcoffee is also allowed. But, the users are not allowed to manip-
ulate the canopy or ground vegetation to enhance coffee production or other forms of agricul-
tural activities. In addition, settlement is not [Link] designated buffer zone is approximately
21,552 ha in extent and is under administration of the Oromia Regional State and the respective
woreda administrations. The designated buffer zones comprise highly conservation worthy vege-
tation types and habitats, such as:

a) Evergreen Mountain Forest: This complex vegetation type covers much of the highlands to
midlands situated within the proposed core area and Buffer zone of the Biosphere reserve.

b) Afromontane Habitat: The Afromontane forests occur between an altitude of 1500 and
2600masl and are of global conservation significance due to the occurrence of wild Arabicacof-
fee L. (Rubiaceae). In addition to deforestation for cereal-based agriculture, timber extraction is
also a cause for great concern .

c) Humid broadleaved forest of the southern western part and lowland-semi-evergreen forest
of western 24.
d) Aquatic Habitat: A few wetland systems and rivers occur within the proposed buffer zone

[Link]/new/en/natural-sciences/environemnt/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserve/africa/ethiopia/
yayuand Gole T. et al. 2009: Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Nomination Form
24. Gole,T (2003). Vegetation of the Yayu forest in SW Ethiopia: impacts of human use implications for in situ conservation
of wild coffee arabica L. populations. Ecology and Development Series No. 10, 2003.

24 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

 of the Biosphere reserve. These sensitive aquatic ecosystems are of the utmost importance in
terms of satisfying the basic human needs of the local communities by for example providing
materials for building shelter, grazing of cattle, etc. It is therefore also under intense develop-
ment pressure.

The buffer areas have a very important function in that they form virtually important linkages
between the statutory conservation areas. The rehabilitation of degraded river systems to cre-
ate ecological corridors as part of the buffer can therefore play an important role in connecting
conservation areas that have been isolated by human activities. Portions of the designated buf-
fer area are used for non-consumptive uses or sustainable harvesting of natural resources (e.g.
coffee, honey, spices and low-impact grazing). The BR should encourage a symbiotic relationship
between conservation and nature related economic activities in the buffer area which implies that
a portion of benefits derived from the use of natural resources is to be invested back into conser-
vation. The specific activities are recommended in the section of management plan specification
for each biosphere reserve zone.

Transition Area

In the transition zone, the traditional forest coffee production system, garden coffee and agricul-
tural practices and human settlement are allowed. Habitat restoration/rehabilitation and research
can be carried out on those areas that were highly degraded. The farming practice should involve
the traditional agroforestry system, without total clearing of the forest vegetation. Local com-
munities are also allowed to manipulate the coffee populations in areas under their possession,
using local landraces. The transition area of approximately 117,736 ha comprises a diversity of
landscapes, ranging from tracts of natural vegetation, to highly modified man-made (cultural)
landscapes, where the most intensive land-uses, such as urban settlement and its associated hu-
man activities occur. In the transition zone, we have productive agricultural landscape connected
with matrix of nature. It is in this area where people engage in agriculture and other types of live-
lihood modalities. The transition area represents the urban-rural interface, which largely affects
the sustainability of both the rural and the urban environments. Hence, an intervention in helping
residents to improve their socio-economic lives in the transition zone contributes to the core and
buffer zones to be protected and preserved. This transition landscape includes:

 Moderately and intensively cultivated agricultural areas,

 Plantation belts of exotic species such as eucalyptus for economic uses,

 Urban areas and villages, which accommodates a range of intensive land-uses, such as manu-
facturing industries (e.g. Yayu fertilizer factory), road and dam construction, etc.

 Important Riverine and Wetland Areas.

The transition area accommodates the high-impact and consumptive economic land uses that
form the economic backbone of the region. A host of proclamations, laws, strategies and policy
provide guidance pertaining to the maintenance of the sustainability of such land uses, including
the following:

 Enhancement of the environmental integrity or rehabilitation of unutilized farmland and plan-

tations,

 Ensuring sustainable use of water from rivers, marshes and dams by urban settlements and
villages,

 Eradication and control of invasive alien species, which threatens indigenous vegetation with
encroachment, removes vast quantities of groundwater, and promotes soil erosion.

 Controlling natural resource use (e.g. coffee, honey, spices) through subsistence harvesting, etc.

 Restoration and preservation of various sites and/or features of historical and cultural significance.

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 25

 The vegetation resources can offer alternative development opportunities through integration
with other economic sectors such as apiculture to diversify income sources and optimize resources.

Table 1. Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Zonation

Area/
Description Criteria Management objective
Zone
• • •
• Natural forest-including wild coffee Core • Nature reserves • Strict conservation of
forest • Biodiversity hot spots flora and fauna with only
• Maintains the ecological integrity and • Wetlands and water non-destructive use for
ecosystem services of the protected sources beekeeping, wild coffee
areas • Wild coffee gen pool collection and research in
• Preservation of the water catchment ecologically non-sensitive
function areas
• Ecological research and education

• • •
• Conservation-including buffer zone Buffer • Natural forest, coffee, • Strict conservation of rare
activities NTFPs and glades not or endangered flora and
• Restoration of degraded forest areas zoned as protected fauna species and their
and coffee area habitats with possible non-
• Preservation of the water catchment • Patches of indigenous destructive use of NTFPs
function trees and medicinal and no expansion of current
• Development of ecotourism & Nature plants commercial agricultural and
based enterprise forestry activities, esp. coffee
• Controlled utilization of wood and and tree plantations
NTFP
• PFM/CBNRM

• • •
• Commercial production and extraction • All areas that will • Diversification and
of wood be designated or intensification of agriculture
• PFM/CBNRM has been already and forest land use,
• Commercial forest and coffee designated for emphasizing watershed
management commercial forest protection and sustainable
Transition

• Promote on-farm tree growing and coffee production land use practices, esp.
• Promote income generating activities by land use and land organic and conservation
• Support community institutions in administration unit of farming
forestry program the Illu Abba Bor and
• Protection of riparian belt and hilltop Buno-Bedele Zones.
afforestation
• Infrastructure development

Demography and Socio-Economy Trends of the Biosphere reserve

A report from Oromia Regional State,BoFED(2016) shows that the boundary of the IlluAbbaBor-
zone covers the western part of the region and lies between 340 52’12’’ E to 410 34’ 55’’E longi-
tudes and 70 27’ 40” N to 90 02’ 10” N latitude. The zone is surrounded by two regional states and
three zones of Oromia National Regional State. The zones and regions bordering Ilu Aba Borare;
to the West by Gambella Region, to the East and Southeast by Jimma Zone, to the North by West
Wellega, to the North-East by East Wellegaand to the South by Sheka zone of South Nations and
Nationalities Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS). Currently, the zone covers a total area of 16884
km2 (1,688,400 hectares).

According to Ethiopian Statistical Agency population projection, the total population of the zone
in 2013 was 1,545,820 (774,350 male and 771,470 female) including the Buno-Bedle zone before
they split into two zones (Illu Abba Bor and Buno-Bedele). Agriculture is the dominant form of
making a living in the zone. According the zone Finance and Economic Development office, the
major parts of the population of rural dwellers entirely depend on Agricultural practices. In terms

26 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

of land use, agricultural office of the zone estimated that from the total land of the zone, 38.51%
is agricultural land, 11.55% is grazing land, 36.75% forest cover and the remaining percentage
is 13.19% is swampy and marshland, arable land degraded area. Six woredas are located in the
biosphere reserve, namely, Alge-Sachi, Bilo-Nopa, Chora, Doreni, Hurumu and Yayu. Overall, rapid
population growth and uncontrolled and unrestricted land use in the area become a major threat
to the biosphere reserve by shrinking the forest lands.

Table 2 below presents list of woredas, number of kebeles in each woreda, total land area, popula-
tion size and population crude density in the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve.

Table 2. List of woredas and population ofYayu Coffee Forest Biosphere reserve

No. of Total land Po p u l a t i o n Population crude

S/N Zone Woreda
Kebeles cover (km2) size density per km2
1 IlluAbbaBor Alge-Sachi 31 812 93,112 100.3
2 IlluAbbaBor Bilo-Nopa 16 438 34913 69.8
3 Buno-Bedele Chora 33 964 121893 109
4 IlluAbbaBor Dorani 12 321 44135 120.4
5 IlluAbbaBor Hurumu 15 514 51,914 87.4
6 IlluAbbaBor Yayu 18 585 64,570 95

TOTAL 125 3634 410537 113

Source: BoFED, 2016 25

Figure 4 Kebeles surrounding the YCFBR

Source: ECCF Archive and adopted in 2016 by Andreas Schubert from Biodiversity and Forestry
Program

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 27

2.3 Benefits and Opportunities of YCFBR
Socio-Cultural and Economic Functions

The biosphere reserve is rich in the variety of ecosystems such as plant and Livestock species and
enhances nature’s ability to carry and benefit humans with provision of basic services like food,
water, air, shelter, soil and natural resource. The local people in the biosphere, obtain benefits
from forestry, farming, tourism, fishing and indigenous medicinal practices. There are also many
visible and invisible functions including the climate regulation, flood control, carbon storage and
aesthetic values. Culturally, it also benefits religious, social, spiritual and indigenous values.

Communities living around YCFBR have strongly connected to the YCFBR to make a living. To eco-
nomically sustain themselves, they obtain products and services from the biosphere reservesuch
as firewood, fuel, building materials, honey and bees wax, spices, coffee and wood for making fur-
niture, houses and other household and farm items. They generally depend on the natural resourc-
es (plants and Livestock) in the biosphere reserveas a means of making a living. It is considered
as an “Economic engine” of the area- for the community, government and private institutions. It is
a center of production where people produce honey (traditional or modern ones), collect spices
and other agricultural products. The main economic activity of people in the area is coffee cultiva-
tion. They mainly rely on cultivating coffee on both transition and buffer zones and use of natural
coffee in buffer and core areas. Hence, coffee has been the dominant source of their income by
which they sustain their life if its use clearly stipulated and supported, example by making clear
demarcation and supporting farmers (producers) in restricted areas such as transition areas.

The main source of food and income for the community, next to coffee, come from honey pro-
duction. Honey produced within the biosphere reserveis highly valued by the local communities.
The honey is used both as a source of food and income through selling it at the local and national
markets. People keep the bees in traditional beehives using wood from trees or sometimes use
the modern ones buying it from the local government particularly, office of agriculture and natu-
ral resource.

Local people use forest trees to construct houses through illegal means or by permit for domestic
use from some community administrations. In addition, they use trees to make household fur-
niture and farm equipment. Beyond using different tree species such as Wadessa 26 for making
house furniture, extract the raw materials in large volume for market from buffer and core areas.

Forest trees are also used for making charcoal and firewood. Firewood is the most popular energy
source for cooking, lighting and heating in all rural households. Most kebeles in the biosphere
reservehave no electric power and as a result, entirely rely on wood as source of energy. In addi-
tion to household energy consumption, people use it as a source of income by selling it to local
markets, transporting it to the nearest towns by livestock (donkey) and car.

Tourism Potentials of the Biosphere Reserve

There are tourist attraction sites although it is not well promoted, and its potential is not realized.
There are several different tourist attraction sites in IlluAbba Borzone. For instance, the zonal fi-
nance and economic development office (2016) listed down tourist attraction sites in the YayuBio-
sphere Reserve. Table 3 below presents tourism potential sites within the Biosphere;

25.[Link]
[Link] is an indigenous tree known by its scientific name ‘Cordiaafricana’; because of the high exploitation for timber
production, it is one the endangered species identified among the indigenous trees found in Ethiopia.

28 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

Table 3. Tourism potential sites within the Biosphere

S/N Woredas List of tourism potential resources

• Dense natural forest with original organic coffee and wild animals and
variety of plant species
1 Bilo-Nopa
• Caves such as MaruEkelekebeles and Abu kebeles found in northern part
of the woreda which can accommodate up to 500 people at once.

• Dense natural forest with original organic coffee and wild animals and
variety of plant species
2 Doreni
• Mountain hills with rich flora and fauna such as Ke’a, Dimtu hill, Mechale
hill, Sibo hill, Wagalcho hill and Dubeta.
• Waterfalls which is found in Cheberekebele that drops from high cliff of
more than 40 meters high
• Caves which are found in “Sonta” kebelewith “100” meters long and “40”
meters high which is made up of natural rock,
• Natural forest like Sayi natural forest and milu manmade forest(40hec),
3 Hurumu
• Hot springs found in Sayi forest and around ‘Gaba” areas
• Lutheran Abba Gamachis or HikaAwajji or OnesmosNesib Who was born
in Hurumu named Ogee Warago. He was the man who translated the Holy
Bible from English Version to Oromo language for the first time in the
history of Oromo people.
• Aba Alenga field, ChaliShono and Agar Gudo funeral place, Holkeinichini
4 Yayo cave, Agaro Cave,Nono Cave, Seri Cave, Gera Cave, Boni Cave, Wama,
CaveYayu natural

The role of Oromo Cultural Values in Conserving Nature

Nature has a unique place in Oromo culture. Forest, rivers, streams, trees, human beings, livestock
species among Oromos are respected. The Gadaa system, the socio-cultural and political organi-
zation of Oromo, distinguished sacred events and areas, which everybody believes and practiced.
For example, some of the plants found in the forest have cultural and spiritual functions. Odaa (Fi-
cus species) for example, is a plant used as rituals under which elders gather, discuss community
affairs and pray for peace, rain and prosperity. There are also other types of trees which are rec-
ognized for different ritual purposes, such as Oomii (Pygeumafricanum), Laaftoo (Acacia albida),
Birbirsa (Podocarpusprocera) and Harbuu (Ficus sur). Hence, Oromos have indigenous biodiversity
management mechanisms. For example, cutting trees and demolishing streams is forbidden and
a violation of this rule results in serious punishments ranging between marginalization, paying
compensation, and detention.

Recognizing these indigenous values as part of a strategy of the biosphere reserve, a 60 years old
resident in Alge-Sachiworeda, Adare kebele expressed that the use of these cultural and commu-
nity-based institutions is effective in managing the biosphere reserve and nature in general. For
instance, he described a forest management committee in his kebele, a committee comprising
kebele leader, local elders, youth and women representative, security officer and development
agents. He specifically, corroborates that local elders and religious leaders are effective in teaching
and enforcing indigenous forms of conserving nature.

Thus, considering these potentials, the rationales for implementation of Biosphere Reserve plan-
ning and implementation in Yayu Coffee Forest includes:

It is the largest remaining coffee forest fragment worldwide,

It comprises an extraordinary landscape mosaic of forest, agricultural land, wetlands and
settlements,

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 29

The area is center of origin and diversity of several plants with high versatility, such as Aframo-
mumkororema, Pipercapense, discoreasp, Cocciniaabyssinica (Anchote), Placterantus edulis (Oro-
mo dinich) besides coffee and many more,

According to BoFED (2016), over 70% of local income is derived from coffee production. Hence,
the biosphere reserve approach can act as an important pilot site for enhancing sustainable forest
coffee use and sustainable livelihood development,

The site is located on the economically important regional watershed, the Nile Basin and secure
the smooth functioning and longevity of the newly being constructed Grand Ethiopian Renais-
sance Dam, requires an integrated management approach at landscape level via UNESCO-MAB
concept,

As to its cultural values, the proposed area also harbors historical sites such as the Gada Assem-
bly of the Iluu Oromo –a key landmark in Oromo people’s political culture.

The importance of the forest for livelihood and the existence of traditional resource management
institutions helped to maintain forest cover with little change over time. The traditional resource
management rule like the territory based informal administrative institutions (tuulla, xuxee and
shane) and elders’ councils (mucho, salgii and jaarsabiyya) can play a role in conservation and sus-
tainable use of the coffee genetic and other forest resources. Accordingly, any management plan
should consider these values and other similar traditional institutions to ensure sustainability of
the conservation plan. Hence, the tasks of biosphere reserve are typically cross-sectoral and link to
the responsibilities of various administrations and institutions. These includes Oromia Forest and
Wildlife Enterprise (OFWE), Agriculture and Natural Resource Management, Land Administration,
Oromia Environment, Forest and Climate Change Authority, Culture and tourism, cooperative, as
well as local governments including customary institutions.

In addition, all relevant regional and federal government institutions and ministries have stakes
in the sustainable biosphere reserve management (see table 12and 13). Organizing, coordinating
and enhancing cooperation among various administrations, authorities and stakeholders can be
considered one of the main tasks of biosphere reserves to properly address the management plan
in way that provide a clear resource governance structure with clear roles and responsibilities.
Furthermore, the indigenous institutions and traditional system in the coffee forests biosphere
reserve which have been contributing a lot in the conservation and use of naturalresources in-
cluding forest coffee and natural forest, need to be included and integrated in the institutional
framework of the management plan. The regular integration of the local initiations can be done
through various ways such as establishing community consultation platforms and PFM together
with community benefit sharing schemes such as Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS).

Research on natural research management indicates that neither the free ride approach nor the
conventional conservation that completely separates the local community from the resource was
effective and sustainable. It is high time to have a paradigm shift and introduce a management
approach which includes the community as a central element in the conservation process. The
Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve is introduced as a model to promote this concept. The pic-
ture below depicts these facts that emphasize the need for consultation of all relevant stakehold-
ers to ensure the sustainable management of the natural resources.

30 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

Figure 5 Model for engaging stakeholders in community management planning

Other Benefits of the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve

Moreover, the biosphere reserve has become a center of knowledge generation. Yayu Coffee For-
est Biosphere Reserveis a center where researchers and students learn and use as a lab setting. It
serves as a laboratory setting for universities and research institutions such as Mettu, Wollega, Jim-
ma, Gambella, Addis Ababa Universities and beyond. It also serves as a habitat for animal species.
It creates the best conducive living place for human being and animals; protect threatened/being
disappeared species; and generally, can protect livestock/plant from extinction.

2.4 Major challenges of YCFBR

Population Dynamics and Deforestation

The community reported that the population growth has one of the main threatening factors
of the YCFBR. The population of the area is growing at an alarming rate due to two main factors:
natural growth and settlement/population immigration-illegal/informal/unregistered movement
of people to the area from different parts of the country. As a result, the proportion of natural
resources particularly, land and with forest cover has been diminishing. The proportion of land
owned by people/family members is declining and resulting competition over access to land has
become tough. This experience further threats boundary/zonation-expanding of transition areas
towards buffer and core areas. This was mainly due to weak institutional arrangement responsible
for managing the biosphere reserve.

Rapid population growth is a number one challenges of the residents; threatening the biosphere
reserve. This implies that family planning methods and control of immigration especially in the six
woredasthat are found in the biosphere reserve is found pertinent. Table 2 below presents popu-
lation growth in the six woredas.

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 31

Table 4. Population growth of the six woredasfound in theYayu Coffee ForestBiosphere Reserve

Risk
indices
population on the
Population Population Population growth Increment Natural
No. Woreda
size (1994) size (2007) Size (2014) (2007- rate (%) Resource
2014) (low,
Medium,
High)
1 Alge-Sachi 0 76,611 93,112 16,501 18 High

2 Bilo-Nopha 0 28,810 34,913 6,103 17 High

3 Chora 84,617 100,506 121,893 21,387 18 High

4 Dorani* 36,705 44,135 7,430 17 High

5 Hurumu* 83,579 42,667 51,914 9,247 18 High

6 Yayu* 52,851 64,570 11,719 18 High

Source: Adopted from BoFED (2016) and CSA (2007, 1994)

* The three woredas were not independent until 2007

Declining Socio-economic well-being of the Community

The economic and social well-being of the community is declining. Lack of alternative sources of
livelihood and job opportunities is one of the root causes of forest decline. In addition to the in-
creasing concentration of people due to lack of alternative means of survival, people overexploit
forests and cut them down for different reasons such as food, energy, construction materials and
living space. The economy of the communities solely depends on production of coffee, spices,
honey and cereals which are extracted from the biospherereserve. However, due to declining pro-
ductivity of these products and increasing trend of population, they are not fully benefited from
the landscapes.

In addition, as these products are original/organic, they are not certified and recognized at nation-
al and international level to get a better price so as to benefit primary producers, the community
living in the biosphere reserve. The declining productivity of these products and other agricultur-
al practices in the transition area enforced people to engage in coffee cultivation causing more
deforestation. Consequently, clearing forest particularly in transition and buffer zones to expand
coffee cultivation is one of the main causes of deforestation. Farmers cut down trees or burn the
forest to make space to plant coffee and other crops. In addition, newly born/younger household
members become married and own plots of land by clearing more land, often on the edge of for-
ests and settle there. There are also new immigrants to the area, by using the local officials or local
residents as a channel to enter the area and permanently reside by clearing more lands.

Consequently, clearing forest particularly in transition area and buffer zoneto expand coffee cul-
tivation is one of the main causes of deforestation. Farmers cut down trees or burn the forest to
make space to plant coffee and other crops. In addition, newly born/younger household members
become married and own plots of land by clearing more land, often on the edge of forests and
settle there. There are also new immigrants to the area, by using the local officials or local residents
as a channel to enter the area and permanently reside by clearing more lands.

In general, the declining economic and social well-being of the communities in all six woredas
found in the biosphere reserve contributed to the depletion of the biosphere reserve. In all wore-
das, it was noticed that agricultural productivity is declining. Its marketability, sustenance of
household subsistence was dramatically declined. The existing technological advancement to

32 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

improve its productivity was far from reality. The declining productivity of these products and
other agricultural practices in the transition area enforced people to engage in coffee cultivation
causing more deforestation.

Incomplete Demarcation and Lack of Regulation

The biosphere reserve is divided into three functional units: Core area, buffer zone and transition
area. Generally, the biosphere reserve covers an area of about 167,021 hectares. In principle, the
core area is dense forest covering 27,733 ha, and is set aside primarily for the conservation of the
coffee genetic resources and associated forest biodiversity in situ. The area is characterized by rich
species diversity. Close to 300 species of plants were recorded from few sample plots within the
area (Gole, 2003). In total, 450 higher plants, 50 mammals, 200 birds and 20 amphibian species
have been reported in all habitat types within the biosphere reserve (ibid).

However, lack of complete physical demarcation indicating the stated zones were one of the main
issues in some kebeles, particularly in Doreni and Alge-Sachiworedas. The three zoning-buffer,
transition, and the core of the biosphere reserve are not completely physically demarcated at
least to the understanding of the community. In addition, in all kebeles where boundaries were
set, there were no strong regulatory organs and commitment particularly at local levels to strictly
follow and manage according to the stated rules.

More specifically, the issue of demarcation was the main administrative problem of the biosphere
reserve in Alge-Sachi woreda.
Consequently, in addition to lack of clear physical demarcation, there was a dilemma of owner-
ship, i.e., the community members were thought that they allowed using coffee and other natural
products in the buffer zone of the biosphere. In this regard, part of the buffer zone has no private
ownership; everybody can access and use it as much as they can, which imply for the depletion of
its resources, an assumption which validate the theory of the tragedy of the commons.

Timber Production and Trade

Timber business was one of the main threats to forests around the biosphere reserve. The pro-
duction of timber leads to forest destruction and degradation that have implications for future
climate concerns and loss of biodiversity and much of the country’s timber dense forest specially
core and buffer zones. Cutting trees in this case can damage indigenous trees leading to loss of
biodiversity.

One of the major triggering factors of timber production and trade is the high demand for timber
products nationally and locally. The demand for wood and wood products has rapidly increased in
recent times all across the country. Some private business and individuals who engaged in wood
work in the surrounding towns of the biosphere reservemake their base in the biosphere reserve
and engaged in producing and transporting forest products to the urban centers such as Bedele,
Mettu, and Jimma.

Fuel Wood Consumption and Trade

Fuel wood collection and charcoal making for local consumption and petty trade was another
threat to forests around the biosphere reserve. The residents in all six woredasfound in the bio-
sphere reserve solely rely on wood for their energy requirement. Every household collects wood
from the forest to prepare their food. In addition, many households living adjacent to roads collect
wood in high volume and sell it to the surrounding market/towns. They use this business as ad-
ditional source of income for their living. The participants in the management plan believed that
all these activities lead to forest destruction and degradation, which have implications for future
climate concerns and loss of biodiversity. Cutting trees to make a charcoal or firewood in high
volume amounted to the dramatic increase of population can decline forest coverage and leading
to loss of biodiversity.

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 33

Large Scale Development Projects

The emergence and implementation of large-scale development projects have adverse effects on
the biodiversity of the area if not properly managed. For instance, Yayu fertilizer factory, Yayu coal
industry and Geba hydroelectric power are some of the upcoming largescale projects in the Bio-
sphere Reserve that have potential impacts in the biosphere reserve. These projects are planted
some inside and some adjacent to the biosphere buffer zone and transition area. To some extent,
depletion of natural resources such as land, forest, water, soil, etc. is inevitable. As a result of the
project expansion to the buffer and core areas, its forest cover has been declining. Particularly, the
establishment of Yayu fertilizer industry resulted in the establishment of smaller towns in the area.
Witate town could be an indication of its implication. The factory attracted many people (workers)
with their large families to the area. It is assumed that the factory will create job opportunities for
more than 30,000 workers. These workers are coming to the area with their accompanies. It is also
expected that they intend to sustain their living depending on the natural resource of the area,
which further implicate the loss of biodiversity.

During the transect walk participants from Yayu woreda, Witate kebele told the consultant team,
an area where Yayu fertilizer factory is located, uniquely raised that the establishment of Yayu fer-
tilizer industry as the main reasons for the dramatic increase of the population, which imply urban
growth and competition over resources. They thought that the industry is attracting many people
from different parts of the country. As a result, the town is horizontally expanding to the periph-
ery of the forest depleting many hectares of land. For instance, a 35-old resident in the kebele
described that the main reason for the population pressure is the arrival of new comers in search
of job. They are attracted by the job created from factory and coffee plantations.

Regarding the Yayu Fertilizer Factory (YFF), we have been informed by the factory personnel there
is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study document with MEFCC, even though not accessi-
ble to the consulting team during the management plan drafting and nothing is said about Envi-
ronmental Management Plan (EMP). Nevertheless, it is found important to consider the company
as a potential stakeholder to work together concerning the Biosphere Reserve. For example, the
company can fund the biosphere reserve to escalate reforestation program and promote wood-
lots in the transition zone as well as to carry out enrichment planting of indigenous species in
open spaces in the buffer zone. In consultation with the concerned government authorities at fed-
eral, regional and zonal level, it would be good to have at least a map showing the spatial location
of the current and planned mining sites and their overlaps with BR zones.

Further, the establishment of these factories was not initiated by the local communities and not in
consultation with the local government. For instance, the zonal and woreda administrations were
not aware of how YFF and Coal factory were established in the area. As a principle, all develop-
ment projects, both private and government, should submit the environmental and social impact
assessment report to the Bureau/office of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Authority and
get approval prior to the project.

Conversely, in practice EIA documents are left on the shelf. Along YCFBR, the construction of roads,
such as the road from Bedele to Mettu and from Mettu to surrounding woredas, gave people ac-
cess to the forest to cut trees for timber production, in addition to destroying certain areas of land
resources. The road construction, electric power and telecommunication distribution requires
large stretches of land to be cleared. This can be devastating for the forest as it is fragmented,
habitats are divided, and the rate of soil erosion and water sedimentation increases.

Large-scale government and private investments did not give priority for the residents for job
and other opportunities, which created negative attitude towards. Participants mentioned that
private and government investments such as YFF, Bedele-Mettu road project and Geba hydro-
electric power did not prioritized residents in creating job and paying reasonable compensation
or replacement. They mentioned that the project owners more preferred to bring professionals
from outside the project area and daily laborers than using locally available labor, which created a
tension between local residents and projects.

34 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

Lack of Institutional Arrangement

Ideally, Ethiopia has established Biodiversity Development and Management (BDM) program in
2009 with the aim of implementing the Man and the Biosphere Reserve Program where a national
committee has been established from the representatives from various ministries, agencies, re-
search and academic institutions of the Federal and Regional States and is chaired by the Ministry
of Science and Technology. Again, in principle, a biosphere reserve should have its own manage-
ment system to ensure its functions and objectives.

However, YCFBR has no management unit of its own. Lack of institutionalized organ responsible
for permanent management and conservation of the biosphere reserve was the main concern.
As a result, there was no integration among different organs, the management of the biosphere
reservewas based only on voluntary services, the involvement was not sustainable and there was
duplication of responsibility and effort. Although there were some organizations who have di-
rect stake such as Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise, Oromia Environment Forest and Climate
Change Authority at regional, zonal and woreda level and NGOs such as PHE-EC and Ethio-Wet-
lands, and ECCF level as such there was no a unit primarily and permanently responsible for coor-
dinating, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

The participants in the discussion also seriously mentioned that lack of integration and duplica-
tion of effort in managing the biosphere reserve, which led to confusion, conflict of interest and
lack of commitment. For instance, the OFWE officers at zonal and district levels admitted that
although their office is primarily responsible for managing the biosphere, they faced a claim that
other organs are simultaneously responsible. Uniquely, they mentioned duplication of function
and a conflict of interest between them and other organs such as Zonal Forest and Environmental
Protection Authority Office, Land Management Office, and Agricultural Development Office. This
led to lack of specific organ primarily responsible for coordinating and integrating multiple organs
particularly at Regional, Zonal, Woreda, and Kebele level towards a collective end.

Land use / land cover in the YayuBiosphere Reserve

According to (Gole et al, 2009 27), agriculture has a long history in Ethiopia in general and Yayu
area in particular and is described by smallholder existence cultivating with livestock tractive force
(oxen plough). Because of little productivity, taking full advantage of production to meet the need
for the ever-growing population has been at the expense of forest areas. The same source added
that in earlier times, people used to practice shifting cultivation to prevail over the problem of
low soil fertility. Nonetheless, this has now become history, owing to shortage of land, resulting
from population growth. In the proposed biosphere reserve management plan, the land use type
outspreads throughout the plateaus, in between the river valleys, having a higher altitude and
gentler slope, which is more convenient for cultivation.

27. Gole, T., Senbeta, F., Tesfaye, K., and Getaneh, F. 2009. Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Nomination Form

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 35

Figure 6 Land use/Land cover in the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve
Source: Gole et al., 2009

Other challenges

 Land degradation

 Expansion of farm lands

 Forest fire

 Legal issues

List of restricted activities in the buffer and Core Zones

Discussion with the local communities and stakeholders in the area identified some social and
economic activities that may have adverse effect on the biosphere reserve. Although further ac-
tivities should be identified using scientific study in addition what is identified in annex 3.

36 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

PART III: Methodology and Approach of the Management
Plan’s Development

3.1 Methods
Field visits to Illu Abba Bora and Buno-Bedele zones, where the biosphere reserve found, were
conducted in four phases starting from March to July 2017 with a team of consultants consisting
of Socio-economist, Ecologist, Natural Resources Expert and Environmentalist and experts from
the client. The purpose of the trip was to gather Information about attitudes, aspirations, activi-
ties, and knowledge pertinent to the consultancy assignment with the relevant stakeholders at
the project sites and discuss with communities. Meeting, community discussion, and informal
discussion were used to gather information. For the preparation of the YCFBR management plan,
primary and secondary data were gathered at local, woreda and zonal levels via a multi-stakehold-
er working teams including the one hundred community planning team from twenty selected
sample Kebeles within the biosphere reserve. Combination of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)
tools and methods including focus group discussion, stakeholders’ workshops, participatory ob-
servations (transect walk) were employed for collection of the required data for understanding of
the existing situation, projecting future scenarios and identification and prescription of manage-
ment plans and activities.

Major activities conducted by the study team

During the whole Consultancy sessions, the team conducted the following major activities

 Provided awareness raising training on the need for the conservation and protection of the
natural resources at zonal, woreda, and kebele level.

 Series of community discussion on the major issues to be addressed and possible solution
which is accompanied by different important and valuable questions and suggestion/recommen-
dation

 Transect walk in the randomly selected eight kebeles

 Stakeholders meetings and conferences from region to woreda level

The first meeting with pre-selected “community planning team28” was conducted at Metu town.
The participants were selected from the neighboring Woredas as part of the community planning
team for the development of YCFBR management plan. During the session, the experts briefed
the major activities and challenges in project implementation. The consulting team was commu-
nicated with the pre-selected “community planning team”. Medium of communication was Afaan
Oromo-local language. The community planning team has been trained by the consulting team
on the concepts of biosphere reserve, plan preparation, data collection and reporting. The reports
from 20 kebeles were compiled and analyzed to produce the final comprehensive management
plan of the biosphere reserve.

3.2. Approach
Historically, the conventional approach of managing biodiversity is focused on protection of
large-scale ecosystems like protected and areas. Its objective is to conserve and manage entire
ecosystems and to prevent loss of biological as well as cultural diversity. It basically protects un-
sustainable human intervention to a biosphere reserve. However, the applications of this ap-
proach become highly controversial. There is also much debate about the appropriateness of this
approach when it comes to the ideas of considering the diverse socio-economic settings. It was

28. Planning teams were established by woreda administration in consultation with OFWE and PHE to facilitate the bio-
sphere reserve management plan preparation at community level. To this end, the planning teams were established and
assigned in each kebele to mobilize the community by ensuring the participation of all segment of the population and by
providing them technical support.

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 37

Figure 7 Process of Management Plan Preparation

highly criticized as being colonial origin, displace dwellers, and a guarding/policing mechanism
cannot lead to sustainably manage the nature and its biodiversity.

Hence, the current management plan preparation gives due attention on appropriate participa-
tion of the relevant stakeholders, particularly local communities and sectors at all stages. Studies
and experiences indicate that the top-down approaches did not sustainably preserve natural re-
sources and biodiversity. Historically, indigenous and local communities typically have been con-
sulted only on limited issues such as cultural heritage issues. Local knowledge, experiences and
resources were often overlooked in biodiversity conservation. Therefore, a consensus was reached
among the participants of YCFBR stakeholders’ workshop and community discussions that Oro-
mos have indigenous means of conserving nature. According to their religion and culture, nature
such as water, tree, and Livestock species have safuu29, sacred. Accordingly, communities have
the capacity to engage on broad biodiversity. Hence, it was generally believed that engaging with
local communities on biodiversity management indicated that exploring practical mechanisms is
more likely to be effective.

If communities can be engaged at a local and practical level, then this would lead to opportuni-
ties to exchange information on broader biodiversity issues. Accordingly, this planning process
identified actors including the local communities, determine their interest in biodiversity man-
agement, and assess capacity and constraints to their being involved in the envisaged biodiversity
conservation activities. In sum, the biosphere reserve management plan preparation followed a
bottom-up approach. The team of consultants went to the community without pre-planned ideas

29. Something which is taboo and acceptable by the community

38 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

regarding the biosphere reserve problems and solutions. The community themselves identified
the problems and their potential mechanisms to address them. The team of consultants compiled
and analyzed the data and organized into themes, which were targeted at addressing four general
aims, namely biosphere reserve conservation, socio-economic development, research and com-
munication, and collaboration, coordination and partnership.

Community Planning team, Practice and its Implication for the Overall Management Plan
A biosphere reserve management is about achieving sustainable use and management of natural
resources in YCFBR. Natural resources include all types of physical resources (water, air, climate,
soils and minerals) and biological resources (flora, fauna, agricultural produce, ecosystems and
people-culture, institutions). These resources are essential to the survival of Yayu Biosphere Re-
serve community well-being and quality of life. Unfortunately, natural resources all around the
world are under pressure from the unattainable activities and demands of humans. It is imperative
that the communities begin to use and manage natural resources in a sustainable way so that they
will continue to support the livelihood.

Everyone who lives in YCFBR including private sectors, government, NGOs or other organization
that operates here, is a user and a manager of the natural resources of the area. So, it is up to the
whole community, every individual and every organization, to ensure that the resources are not
wasted, depleted or over-exploited and sustainably managed not only for the sake of local com-
munity and future generations but also for global interest.

Increased participation of the community in land, water and vegetation management, and envi-
ronmental conservation is an effective way to change on-ground practices and guarantee that the
natural resources are used in more sustainable ways. However, natural resource management is
just as complex as it is important, so we need strategic direction-a Plan-to do the best job we can.

The Yayu Coffee Forest Management is a means to:

 Establish a framework for community action and involvement that addresses real priorities ef-
ficiently and effectively;

 Consolidate and optimize the resources available for community and government projects in-
cluding community fund raising platform;

 Improve the community’s communication and collaboration with government, NGOs, private
sectors and industry in matters relating to land, water and biological resources; and

 Improve the co-ordination and co-operation of community, government and industry ventures.

Therefore, YCFBR management plan aims to articulate the concerns and priorities of local commu-
nity in YCFBR for protecting and managing local natural resources bases.

The entire activity of the plan preparation was packed and handled under various components
that were conducted in four phases. The four phases are described below and with the different
components illustrated in Figure 7.

Phase I: This is a preparation phase in which important activities for the study were planned and
done. This includes: -

 Identification and review of all relevant secondary information;

 Identify and recorded all stakeholders that was involved in the study process;

 Set up of platform and communication procedures with the relevant bodies in line with the
biosphere reserve planning and management.

Phase II: This is the phase in which field mission was conducted in the study areas, to collect all
important and relevant primary and secondary data through, stakeholders’ interview, discussions
and PRA (transect walk) and own compilation of data to establish the platform of the planning and

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 39

management work. And, at the same time a series of consultation and training at different level;
zone, woreda and kebele, was conducted.

Phase III: This is the phase in which the collected data was substantiated, triangulated and an-
alyzed meticulously.

Phase IV: In this last phase, management prescription, report production, feedback and com-
munication with relevant stakeholders was conducted. Presentation on the main findings of the
study in line with the planning of the biosphere reserve management was presented accordingly
in the presence of top government officials at Region, Zone and Woreda levels as well as NGOs
and the donor.

Figure 8 Schematic methodological flow chart

Secondary Data Review and Analysis

Before the stakeholders’ consultation, secondary information from previous works including re-
ports, research publications and consultancy reports were collected and thoroughly analyzed. A
general insight was gained and relevant data was gathered from the secondary sources on the
biophysical data on the forest structure and compositions, institutional, socioeconomic and cul-
tural contexts of the biosphere reserve. The federal and regional policies, strategies and CRGE,
GTPII, and SDGs documents were reviewed. In addition, the Yayu Coffee Biosphere Reserve Nom-
ination Form document was consulted regarding land use/land cover map, map of Yayu Coffee
Forest Biosphere Reserve and Zonation map of the three functions of the Biosphere reserve of
Yayu Coffee Forest.

40 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

Stakeholders’ Consultation and Trainings

Before the stakeholders’ consultation, secondary information from previous works including re-
ports, research publications and consultancy reports were collected and thoroughly analyzed. A
general insight was gained and relevant data was gathered from the secondary sources on the
biophysical data on the forest structure and compositions, institutional, socioeconomic and cul-
tural contexts of the biosphere reserve. The federal and regional policies, strategies and CRGE,
GTPII, and SDGs documents were reviewed. In addition, the Yayu Coffee Biosphere Reserve Nom-
ination Form document was consulted regarding land use/land cover map, map of YCFBR and
Zonation map of the three functions of the Biosphere Reserve.

Stakeholders’ Consultation and Trainings

For primary data gathering and compilation, a series of meetings were conducted with major
stakeholders from local to zonal and regional (OFWE office) levels. It was conducted twice at re-
gion level, once at the zonal level, and twice at the woreda level. An extensive discussion was also
made with kebele representatives. During these discussions, problems the biosphere reserve fac-
ing, and its opportunities were thoroughly discussed. In addition, major points which should be
considered in the management plan were identified by the participants, which include improve-
ment of socio-economic well-being in the transition zones such as employment creation and ag-
ricultural productivity. Moreover, the relevant stakeholder offices were consulted for official data
and institutional aspects. The stakeholders at the zonal level also stipulated the need for clearly
indicating formal establishment of management organ for coordinating stakeholders and plan
implementation and stipulation and follow-up of restricted activities in core and buffer zones of
the biosphere reserve.

Training for the Community Planning Team

Twenty planning teams were established by the local government administration in twenty sam-
ple kebeles in the YCFBR. They were established to conduct community conversation in the tar-
geted kebeles about the management options of the biosphere. Before they go to community
conversation and collect community perspective, they were provided training. The training con-
tent includes: biosphere reserve concepts and their zonation, how to conduct community conver-
sation, PRA tools, data collection. The trainings were conducted for Hurumu and B/Nopa planning
team at Mettu Town, for Chora and Yayu planning team at Yayu, for Doreni planning team at Elemo
town and Algie-Sachi Planning team at Algie-Sachi town.

After the training, the planning team conducted about one hundred community conversations
at villages’ level and collected community perspectives from 9066 participants indicated below
in table5. The participants include local elders, kebele representatives, youths, women, religious
leaders, kebele administrators, and representatives of different stakeholders such as OFWE, OFEC-
CA, Agriculture and Natural Resource Office, and land management.

Table 5. Number of participants participated in the community conversation about the

BR management plan

No of kebeles No of people Actual no of people

S/ N Name of woreda included in the in the sample participated in the %
sample kebeles planning
1 Doreni 6 3699 2597 70.2
2 Alge-Sachi 6 3869 2882 74.5
3 Yayu 2 1495 1050 70.2
4 Chora 2 1308 931 71.2
5 Bilo-Nopa 2 1274 664 52.1
6 Hurumu 2 1342 942 70.2
Total 20 12987 9066 68.1

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 41

Field Observations (Transect walks)

The consultancy team had visited the communities (randomly sampled kebeles and villages) and
made transect walks through the different zones of the biosphere reserve to make direct observa-
tions which is essential to gain an insight and triangulation of data collected by different methods.
There were also in-depth interviews with community members which help the team to compli-
ment and triangulate the findings obtained from focus group discussions and key informant in-
terviews. Issues that need special attention during the observation was captured using cameras
and recorded on formats developed for the [Link] of these issues include farming and its
encroachment to the buffer zones, increasing settlement around the biosphere reserve, unem-
ployment, and coffee plantation around/in the buffer zones.

Validation workshop and Review of the management plan at Woreda and Zonal Level

Expert opinion and Validation workshopwas conducted at zonal level. The participants were rep-
resented from zonal different sectors including the zone administration, woredas, kebeles private
sectors, and Mettu University. Information obtained from the different sources (community, rele-
vant woreda experts, woreda and kebele executives) was validated using triangulation techniques
and their feedbacks was included in this management plan (Annex 1 and 2). The local community
representatives, experts, stakeholders, andresponsible authorities evaluated the feasibility of the
planned management.

Validation workshops in the Six Woredas

After community perspectives collection and summarization, validations of the same were taken
place in the six Woreda. These were important because the collected data were from sampled
villages and kebeles. Therefore, all community representatives including from the non-sampled
kebeles were called to validate the collected community say. Women, religious leaders, influential
people, youths, teachers, local government officials,CBO leaders, cooperatives were intentionally
invited to these workshops. The summery of the data were presented to participants and validat-
ed by the participants.

Zonal level Stakeholders perspective about the management plan of Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere
At zonal level, more data were collected from government sector offices and administration offic-
es. About 19 sector offices representatives participated in a workshop and provide technical, legal
and strategic level inputs. Data were also collected from other stakeholders such as institutions
including Mettu University (MU), NGOs, and private sectors such as YFF who have stake in the bio-
sphere management. During this workshop, apart from providing their perspective in every issue
raised, there was an encouraging pledging from different organizations to support the effective
implementation of the management plan. The Mettu University (MU) for example, has shown a
keen interest to support the community during implementation by conducting researches that
could address the problem of the community.

3.3. Data Analysis and Interpretation

Careful transcription, analysis and interpretation of the relevant information collected by the re-
spective expert teams lead to prescription of management activities on to the core, buffer and
transitional zones of the biosphere reserve and the preparation of the management plan. The
full participation of the multiple stakeholders, involvement of expert teams at local, the visions,
values, priorities and objectives of the biosphere reserve. In the course of the discussions, issues
that dominated most of the discussions were the naming of the YayuBiosphere reserve, Branding
of products from the biosphere, physical demarcation of the three functional zones(Core, Buffer,
and Transition), the fate of coffee in the buffer zone, youth unemployment, declining of livelihood
options due to population pressure and the implication of projects/factories/(YFF, Geba hydro-
electric power) constructions inside the biosphere [Link] assures an appropriate decision on
management actions, organizational elements, action plans and indicators for monitoring of the
YCFBR management plan implementation.

42 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

PARTIV: Management Plan Specification
4.1. Introduction
This section presents vision, mission, goal, and objectiveof the Management Plan (MP)and im-
plementation strategies of the biosphere reserve management plan. It specifies core objectives,
expected outputs, specific activities and actions, and stakeholders involved in the implementa-
tion of the plan. The scope of the assignment is to develop a management planthat will be im-
plemented within the coming 10 years (2018-2028) which is subjected for necessary intermedi-
ate amendments whenever [Link] management plan shall be implemented within the six
YCFBR woredas. Detailed issues such main threats, priority activities that should be implemented
soon, the current funding available for such priorities, a more urgent need for fundraising will be
discussed later in the upcoming sections and alternative options will be recommended.

This management plan does not seek to replace any of the other strategies and plans relating
to different aspects of forest and environmental managements and published by official admin-
istrations. For example, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, the Agricultural and
Rural Development Policies and Strategies or Development and conservation strategies of various
woreda administrations covering the area remain key documents for Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere
Reserve. Rather, the management plan seeks to complement these documents and build on the
ideas they contain. The plan aims to be in line with the national interest as well as current global
directions of conservation and sustainable use of natural resources (see legal framework section
for more details). It is also understood the goals and objectives of the GTPII that Ethiopia strives to
achieve by 2025. At the same time, it provides a strategic direction and priority actions that focus
clearly on local sustainable development of the area and the conservation of its bio-cultural diver-
sity, in the specific framework of the biosphere reserve.

4.2. Vision, Mission, and Goalof the Management Plan

Vision: To see healthy, integrated and well-functioning biosphere reservethat support the liveli-
hood of the local community in a sustainable way by 2028.

Mission: Promote a sustainable balance among the conservation of biodiversity, compatible

economic use, and cultural values, through participatory public and private partnership interdis-
ciplinary research, education and communication.

Goal of the Management Plan

According to Oromia Forest Development, Conservation and Utilization Proclamation, forest man-
agement plan is a plan for development, conservation and utilization of a natural or manmade
forest.

 The central goal of the plan is to guide and co-ordinate the work of all stakeholders with an
interest in the biosphere reserve and in delivering the biosphere reserve functions. It applies to
the entire YCFBR and shall be followed by all relevant stakeholders related to YCFBR, at all levels.

The management plan provides information about YCFBR strategic direction for the future and
clear direction and details for the development and implementation of programs that advance
YCFBR as a living and learning place for coffee gene pool, bio-cultural diversity and sustainable
development.

The management plan does not seek to replace any of the other strategies and plans relating
to different aspects of forest and environmental managements and published by official admin-
istrations. For example, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, the Agricultural and
Rural Development Policies and Strategies or Development and conservation strategies of various
woreda administrations covering the area remain key documents for Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere
Reserve. Rather, the management plan seeks to complement these documents and build on the
ideas they contain. The plan aims to be in line with the national interest as well as current global
directions of conservation and sustainable use of natural resources (see legal framework section

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 43

for more details). It is also understood the goals and objectives of the GTPII that Ethiopia strives to
achieve by 2025. At the same time, it provides a strategic direction and priority actions that focus
clearly on local sustainable development of the area and the conservation of its bio-cultural diver-
sity, in the specific framework of the biosphere reserve.

Overall Objective

The overall objective of the management plan is to improve the management and conservation
of YCFBR using a multi-sectoral-integrated approach by developing 10 years management plan
for the biosphere reserve following the ecosystem approach principles in agreement with the
objectives, needs and priorities of the biosphere reserve in terms of conservation, sustainability
and livelihood.

The multi-sectoral-integrated approach is opted for this project so as to create cooperative re-
sponsibility among all involved stakeholders and bring them together to have collaborative effort
towards the sustainable management and conservation of the Biosphere reserve. Therefore, one
of the activities to achieve this aim is to develop management plan to YCFBR and its implementa-
tion strategies. The purpose of the management plan is therefore, to contribute to the conserva-
tion of the biodiversity and natural resources of YCFBR and to ensure sustainable and equitable
sharing of benefits and responsibilities.

Specific Objectives

 Conservation and protection of Yayu coffee forest biosphere reserve promoted

 Sustainable economic development enhanced

 Private-Public Partnership (PPP) established and strengthened

 Communication and public relationship strategies developed

4.3. Principles and Values

The design and implementation of the YBR management plan shall be guided by the following
core principles:

Basic principles for implementation

1) Transparency: all aspects of the BR management plan from the design, implementation and
monitoring should be discussed and communicated transparently to all stakeholders at all lev-
els, and any decision needed should be taken collectively in consultation with communities. All
stakeholders should have full and equal access to information pertaining to BR management and
benefit sharing.

2)Inclusiveness: the BR management program should identify and involve all ranges of stake-
holders. It should include various social groups such as marginal groups, women and youth. All
stakeholders at various levels in towns and inside and around the BR should be involved and have
equal voices and decision-making power on issues concerning sustainable management of the
YCFBRand equitable benefit sharing.

3)Participatory: the project’s decision making should avoid informing and dictating, rather must
involve stakeholders in a truly participatory style. It should incorporate voices and concerns of all
into planning and implementation of the BR.

4)Open and two-way dialogues: information obtained, and views of community should be re-
spected equally as that of professional at federal and regional levels. Therefore, two-way exchange
of information and consensus building approach should be persuaded.

5)Flexibility: the BR management plan implementation should learn by doing and be flexible
enough to incorporate new ideas (re-planning), approaches and stakeholders as they emerge and

44 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

found necessary to include.

Put in place mechanism for grievance redressing: stakeholders should have a system where they
can reflect their concern and grievances at any time and be heard. Any conflict arising in the pro-
cess of implementing the BR management actions should also be resolved and redressed imme-
diately using an established and transparent system.

Key Principles for Management Plan Preparation

 ‘SMART’ planning i.e. specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.

The biosphere reserve management plan targets should relate to national, regional and zonal
BMPs.

Holistic: The planning viewsnature from broader perspective include coffee forest, water, trees,
livestock species, air, human, etc.

Integration and Partnership: The long-termsustainabilityofthebiodiversity management shall be

ensured through appropriate partnerships, resourcing and engagement of multiple stakeholders.
The BMP shall be aligned with the sites’/zonation plan, environmental management system and
mining plan.

Participatory-The planning process is inclusive regardless of ethnic, religion, sex and age differ-
ence.
Transparent-BMP is responsive, transparent and inclusive.

Relevance-Biodiversity conservation is topical issue of the globe and local community.

Monitored plan-The plan will be used as a road map, site plan, and as a guide against which
every actions and interaction is evaluated and monitored.

Easily practical- it is a participatory and bottom-up approach which does not require much cost
and technology. It should be easily practicable by using existing knowledge and capacities of the
community and the local government.

Add values to existing knowledge-the BMP has the capacity to increase the local capacity while
contributing to the national and international knowledge management.

4.4 .Major Outcomes and Deliverables

The management plan outcomes are aiming about achieving sustainable use and management
of natural resources in YCFBR. Natural resources include all types of physical resources (water, air,
climate, soils and minerals) and biological resources (flora, fauna, agricultural produce, ecosys-
tems services and people-culture, institutions). These resources are essential to the survival of
communities around the YCFBR, well-being and quality of life. It is imperative that the communi-
ties begin to use and manage natural resources in a sustainable way so that this will continue to
support the livelihood of current and future generations.

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 45

Table [Link] plan outcomes

Outcomes Responsible Organ/Line office


 MAB principles on BR realized and
implemented  Regional and zonal OFECA, OFWEand MoST
 Yayu wild coffee gen pool conserved  Regional and zonal OFECA, OFWE and EIB
 Biocultural diversity rehabilitated and  Zonal tourism office and MEFCC
conserved  Oromia REDD+ (Program)
 Carbon sequestration potential of YBR  Mettu University in Collaboration with other
enhanced Universities.
 National and International scientific
research and education promoted in
YayuBiosphere reserve


 The local livelihood enhanced and
diversified
 Sustainable use of NTFPs promoted  Zonal and woredas’ Agriculture and Natural
 Yayu forest coffee conserved, branded and Resource,zonal fishery and livestock offices
internationally marketed  Tea and Coffee Development Authority
 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH)  Water, Energy and Irrigation office
and sustainable waste management
promoted
 Clean and Renewable energy sources
promoted

  Zonal and woreda Cooperatives

 Established and strengthened functional  Zonal and woreda Cooperatives and
PPP to enhance local entrepreneurship Agriculture and Natural Resource offices
 Green entrepreneurship developed  Zonal Tea and Coffee Development Authority
 Investment on modern and improved and zonal and woredas’ Agriculture and Natural
coffee handling technologies promoted Resource offices.


 Coordination and Collaboration through
research and awareness enhanced
 Participatory resource use and decision-  Mettu University in Collaboration with other
making system enabled through scientific Universities
research and training  Regional and Zonal OFECA andOFWE
 Raised awareness on the environment
and development and raised public
funds.

4.5. Sector wise Proposed Management Actions (Table 7 to 11)

 Establishment of management unit, an organ responsible for the plan handover, implementa-
tion, monitoring and performance evaluation;

 Completing the physical demarcation of all boundaries in the biosphere reserveand handover
to the management unit;

 According to the plan/demarcation, demonstrate and monitor that there has not been any loss
of known plant or livestock species;

46 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

 Awareness, knowledge, and information dissemination in all localities;

 Ensuring the well-being of the community through job creation, and agricultural improvement
extension programs by giving special attention to the woredas located in the biosphere reserve;

 Demonstrating the number of employed and empowered youths and women in all woredas
located in the biosphere reserve;

 Providing alternative energy sources such as electricity, solar power, biogas production, fuel
saving stoves etc.;

 Creating market strategies and linkages for the six woredas to enable them to get optimum
benefit from their agricultural and non-agricultural products;

 Promoting the original products from the biosphere reserve such as wild coffee and honey
products. Providing them special brand and certifying them so that the local community in the
biosphere reservecould be benefited and competent nationally and globally;

 Provision of basic infrastructure and social services such as schools and health facilities to make
all kebeles found in the biosphere reserveaccessible;

 Mitigating illegal settlement by controlling immigration at macro and local levels;

 Establish community resource mobilizing and fund-raising strategies; and

 Establish formal monitoring and reporting system for YCFBR;

 Serious realization of family planning to balance uncontrolled population growth is also recom-
mended by the community planning teams.

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 47

48 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan
Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 49
50 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan
Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 51
52 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan
Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 53
54 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan
Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 55
56 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan
Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 57
Budget
o avoid the issue of fund/budget shortage, each concerned line office should include in its
T yearly budget plan some amount of money for the implementation of the above stated major
activities depending when the planned activities are implemented (see table 10 to table 12). The
other financial source for the implementation of the activities in the biosphere reservecould be
facilitation and creation of linkages with microfinance institutions and the Mega projects such as
Yayu fertilizer Factory considering as a potential stakeholder. To use the budget centrally, either
it should be under the control of the regional government (concerned line bureau) or the Zonal
administration.

Estimated Budget= 700ETB/ha*167,021ha*10years=1,169,147,000.00ETB. It needs a detailed

budget for each activityand deliverables.

4.6. Management Strategies

The management plan is intended to cover the coming ten years (2018-2028) and will come into
operation following approval and endorsement by the Regional, Zonal and Woreda Council, and
will cease to have effect ten years after commencement, unless revoked sooner or replaced with
a new plan. If appropriate, the management plan may be amended periodically in the future, by
incorporating lessons learned from practices and research. This adaptive approach shall be con-
ducted by the Biosphere Reserve’s Management Units (BRMU) and strengthened by community
and stakeholders’ consultation and approval.

The following tables outline the major activities, deliverables and responsible bodies for each BR
sustainable management. The following discussion defines proposed sustainable forest manage-
ment objectives and summarizes implementation in tabular form. This strategy is developed with
the cooperation of relevant and strategic stakeholders at different scales.

Conservation and Protection of Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere reserve

This can be achieved by the following specific strategy and activities at community level

This plan is also aimed to address the following issues that complement the sustainable develop-
ment and environmental conservation of Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve.

Education: To advance understanding of sustainable biosphere reserve management, a pub-

lication could be developed by YBR management team for target audiences including forestry
workers, students and the public who might not fully understand the importance of environmen-
tally sound coffee forest management for the communities. Contributions would be invited from
selected experts. The publication would discuss the green economy development’s history and
importance to our communities, principles of sound forest management, biodiversity, Integrated
Resource Management (IRM), climate change and sustainable economic development, while pro-
moting environmental governance and business cooperation.

Enhancing sustainable economic development

In order to improve the quality of livelihood of the local community who are reside around the
biosphere, the management plan has proposed the following activities. This proposed action was
based on the inputs from the communities. The implementation of the proposed action points
will be guided based on the principles of the three pillars of sustainability that ensure the balance
between them.

Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compro-
mising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs30 . In the extensive discussion and
use of the concept since then, there has generally been recognition of three pillars of sustainable
development that enhance the implementation of the management plan ; these are31: Economic,
Environmental and Social sustainability. Therefore, the implementation of this management plan
is guided by the following principles of sustainable development.

58 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

The principle of environmental Management: this promotes the conservation and manage-
ment of the natural resources while satisfying the sustainable human consumption. This principle
promotes the restoration and rehabilitation of the ecosystem and maintains the biological diversity.

The principle of Social sustainability: it is aimed to improve the quality of human life, including
poverty alleviation and recognize the extent of cultural diversity and respond accordingly. It is
also aimed to protect and promote human health through a healthy environment. Implement
skills training and capacity enhancement for all people who are depends on the coffee forest re-
sources for their survival.

The principle of Economic sustainability: This principle is aimed in addressing the economic
development of the local communities through sustainable utilization of natural resources within
the allowable biosphere reserve zone. This principle ensures the implementation of MAB princi-
ples of balancing the human welfare and environmental conservation.

To realize this objective, the following core activities expected to be implemented:

 Ensuring the well-being of the community through job creation, and agricultural improvement
extension programs by giving special attention to the woredas located in the biosphere reserve;

 Demonstrating the number of employed and empowered youths and women in all woredas
located in the biosphere reserve;

 Creating market linkages for the six woredas to enable them to benefit from their agricultural
and non-agricultural products;

 Promoting the original products from the biosphere reserve such as wild coffee and honey
products. Providing them special brand and certifying them so that the local community in the
biosphere reservecould be benefited and competent nationally and globally;

 Provision of basic infrastructure and social services such as schools and health facilities to make
all kebeles found in the biosphere reserve accessible;

Guidelines for Implementation of Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

a) Efficient Use of Resources: encouraging and facilitating development and application of sys-
tems for proper resource pricing, demand management and resource allocation together with
incentives to encourage efficient use of resources; and employing full-cost accounting to provide
better information for decision makers.

b) Public Participation: establishing forums which encourage and provide opportunity for con-
sultation and meaningful participation in decision making processes of stakeholders; endeavoring
to provide due process, prior notification and appropriate and timely redress for those adversely
affected by decisions and actions; and striving to achieve consensus amongst stakeholders with
regard to decisions affecting them.

c) Access to Information: encouraging and facilitating the improvement and refinement of eco-
nomic, environmental, human health and social information; and

d) (b) Promoting the opportunity for equal and timely access to information by all YBR stakeholders.

e) Waste minimization and substitution: encouraging and promoting the development and
use of substitutes for scarce resources where such substitutes are both environmentally sound
and economically viable; and (b) use the four Rs’-reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering the
products of society.

30 World Commission on Environment and Development (1987). Our Common Future.
31See e.g. Holmberg ed. (1992), Making Development Sustainable, Chapter 1; Reed ed. (1997), Structural Adjustment,
the Environment and Sustainable Development, Chapter 2

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 59

f) Research and Innovation: encouraging and assisting the researching, development, appli-
cation and sharing of knowledge and technologies which further YBR economic, environmental,
human health and social well-beings. Encourage the local research and academic institutions in
the research and innovation.

4.7. Stakeholders’ Engagement and their Role

The existence and sustainability of the biosphere reserve is highly influenced by the interaction
between different actors operating in the area. There are institutions/individuals, government/
private, and natives/immigrant groups in the biosphere reserve. These groups operate differently
for different purposes, implying competition and depletion of resources in the biosphere. Prac-
tically, there are groups of multiple actors with multiple interests who directly or indirectly bene-
fited from biodiversity. This group includes rural residents whose livelihoods are affected by the
changes in the nature of the biosphere reserve. There are also other actors such as government
organizations, private or NGOs who are directly affecting the biosphere reservehabitat. Increased
participation of the community in land, water and vegetation management, and environmental
conservation is an effective way to change on-ground practices and guarantee that the natural
resources are used in more sustainable ways. However, natural resource management is just as
complex as it is important, so we need strategic direction-a Plan-to do the best job we can.

Therefore, this management plan aims to articulate the concerns and priorities of local communi-
ty in YCFBR for conserving and managing local natural resources bases.

The successful implementation of this management plan requires the consultation and engage-
ment of the end beneficiaries, the communities. This is also requiring appropriate marketing strat-
egies with the engagements of green entrepreneurs. To achieve this objective, multi-stakeholder
consultation and participation forum should be facilitated and established.

Table 12. Stakeholder Analysis and Interest Groups

Level of
influence
Interest and
S/N Interest groups Categories (high, Implication for BR
function
medium,
low) *
Overall policy Provide a policy guidance
1 MEFCCA Government Medium
regulation for the YCFBR management
Provide guidance
biosphere
related research and
reserve research
2 MoST Government Medium technology transfer to
and technology
ensure sustainable BR
transfer
management
Provide support on high
Research level scientific research and
Universities/
monitoring and BR modeling
3 research Government Medium
evaluation/ Conduct society relevance
centers
modeling action research to support
BR implementation
Regulating
provision of basic
Provide policy guidance
services such as
Water, Irrigation and advice on water
4 Government electricity and Medium
and Electricity management, irrigation
water resource
strategies.
use and irrigation
schemes

60 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

 Level of
influence
Interest and
S/N Interest groups Categories (high, Implication for BR
function
medium,
low) *
Conduct in situ an ex-situ
Ethiopian Biosphere conservation within the
5 Biodiversity Government reserve Medium BR and provide strategic
Institute conservation guidance to support BRM
unit

Construction of
road facilities
and regulation
Provide strategic guidance
Ethiopian Road of the impact
6 Government Medium and advice to support on
Authority of road
road infrastructure
construction on
the biosphere
reserve
Existence of an organ
primarily responsible for
Protection, the management of the
Oromia Forest
conservation biosphere reservealthough
and Wildlife
7 Government and marketing High the office is profit oriented
Enterprise
of forest and by promoting market-
(OFWE)
wildlife oriented forests/trees;
trading of forest products;
planting exotic tree species
Existence of an organ
primarily responsible
for the regulation of the
Oromia
biosphere reservealthough
Environment, Protection and
the office involves in
Forest and conservation
8 Government High development services such
Climate Change of natural
as planting and conserving
Authority environment
environment than on
(OEFCCA)
regulatory works such as
policies and strategies at
higher level
Management of
Focus on privately owned
rural land; land
land and its administration
certification;
than on communal forests;
Rural Land enforcing
9 Government High boundary dispute; lack
Administration boundaries;
of certification of forest/
improving
communal land; inability to
well-being of
enforce boundaries
communities
Focus on livelihood
improvement through
Transforming farming (tradition based)
agriculture without prior focus on
Oromia
through the biosphere; declining
Agriculture
10 Government agricultural High agricultural productivity
and Natural
extension particularly in Transition
resource
services and area implies the biosphere
technology reserve threat; lack of
provision of alternative
livelihoods

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 61

 Level of
influence
Interest and
S/N Interest groups Categories (high, Implication for BR
function
medium,
low) *

Regulation of
Regulating small and
Oromia investments
large-scale investment
11 Investment Government in and around High
projects; ensuring the
commission the biosphere
implementation of EIA
reserve

Community
capacity building
and conservation
Awareness creation on the
Civil society towards
12 NGOs Medium benefits and threats of the
Organizations sustainable
biosphere reserve
biosphere
reserve
management

Livelihood maintenance
through resources in the
biosphere reserve; coffee
plantation; trading of forest
Community Livelihood products such as timber,
13 CBO/private High
residents maintenance firewood, coal, mining,
hunting, collecting wild
foods, using wild coffee
products in the core and
buffer zones

Livelihood
maintenance by
forming a group
Livelihood maintenance by
and participate
participation in business
in business
opportunities such as
opportunities
14 MSEs Private/CBOs Medium wood work, firewood,
in the area
coal, mineral/construction
such as wood
materials, which led to
work, metal
depletion of resources.
work, Livestock
production,
trade, tourism.

Youth capacity New potential for the

Youth empowerment awareness creation on the
15 Community High
Association through benefits and threats of the
advocacy biosphere reserve

Women capacity New potential for the

Women empowerment awareness creation on the
16 Community High
Associations through benefits and threats of the
advocacy biosphere reserve
The only government
Administer all organ more involved in
Kebele
17 Government affairs in the High the management of the
Administration
jurisdiction biosphere reserve at the
local level

62 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

 Level of
influence
Interest and
S/N Interest groups Categories (high, Implication for BR
function
medium,
low) *

Self-help group,
providing New potential for the
material, awareness creation
‘Iddir’
18 CBOs financial, and Medium and regulation on the
Associations
psychological benefits and threats of the
services for biosphere reserve
members

New potential for the

Resolving
awareness creation
individuals and
19 Elders’ Council CBOs High and regulation on the
inter-group
benefits and threats of the
disagreements
biosphere reserve
New potential for the
Spiritual and
awareness creation
Religious developmental
20 CBOs Medium and regulation on the
Institutions services for their
benefits and threats of the
members
biosphere reserve
Attracting thousands of
people from other parts
of the country leading to
Production
the creation of smaller
Yayu Fertilizer of fertilizer
21 Government High towns surrounding it; use
factory (nitrogenous
of natural resources from
fertilizer)
the biosphere; chemical
hazards affecting people
and nature in the area
Farm expansion, use of
Farmers’ Increasing farm
22 GO/private Medium agro-chemical, issue of
Association productivity
marketing
Indirectly depending on
the natural products to
maximize their profit and
User of raw also provide opportunities
23 Private business Private materials and a High to enhance sustainable
market place management of the natural
resources and facilitate
market access for local
farmers

* The rating high, medium and low is done based on the level of anticipated future influence of
government organizations, CBOS, Associations, Private business sectors on the YCFBR.

The identified stakeholders, their tasks and roles in the BMP are summarized in the table below.

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 63

Table 13. Stakeholders of YCFBR identified and their roles (expected activities and actions)

Main Responsible
Organ for
Stakeholders’ coordination and
Other Stakeholders Role in BR management
categories facilitation and
follow-up the plan
implementation
Integration of operations at
Ministry of Water, Energy national scale and link BR
and Irrigation(MWEI) with GTP/CRGE and other
Ministry of Agriculture and national initiatives;
Federal Ministry Natural Resources(MANR) Mainstream BR principles
of Environment Ministry of Culture and in national planning and
Forest and Climate Tourism (MoST) monitoring and annual
Change(MEFCC) Ministry of Science and budget allocation through
Technology (MOST) public fund-raising schemes.
Ethiopian Institute of Harmonize BR efforts
Biodiversity (EIB) and ensure sustainable
Cooperative Agency utilization and address
drivers of bio-cultural loss
Oromia Forest and Wildlife
Enterprise (OFWE)
Coordinate inter-sectorial
Bureau of Agriculture and
Regional Oromia planning of program
Natural resources
Environment, Forest implementation;
Bureau of Livestock and
and climate change Mainstreaming BR program
Fishery
authority (OEFCCA) in regional development
Land administration
plans, annual budgeting and
Water, irrigation and energy
implementation
Women and youth
Regional biodiversity desk
Cooperative agency
Government Ensuring EIA
agencies at Oromia Investment Regulation of investments
MEFCC, OEFCCA
various level Commission on the biosphere reserve
zones
Office of agriculture and
Implement BR project
natural resources
activities
OFWE
Integrating BR plan of action
Office of Livestock and
Zonal OEFCCA at landscape level
fishery
Facilitate and coordinate
Office of water, irrigation
management plan and its
and energy
implementation at local
Office of culture and tourism
level
Cooperative agency
Office of women and youth
Office of agriculture and
natural resources
OFWE
Implement BR project
OEFCCA
activities;
Office of Livestock and
Integrating BR plan of action
Woreda OEFCCA fishery
at landscape level
Office of water, irrigation
Implement individual
and energy
activities
Cooperative agency
Office of culture and tourism
Office of women and youth
Woreda biodiversity desk

64 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

 Main Responsible
Organ for
Stakeholders’ coordination and
Other Stakeholders Role in BR management
categories facilitation and
follow-up the plan
implementation
These are likely highly
affected by the BR program
since they rely on for their
living;
They are also beneficiaries
of improved management
of BR but also the bearers of
costs and risks.
They comprise stakeholders
Gadaa, Iddirs, community
that are highly affected
Communities elders and Religious
but have list influence of
and institutions, Kebele
decision-making.
Community Woreda OEFCCA administrations, livestock
They are also the one
based owners, crop growers, coffee
directly implementing
organizations growers and urban dwellers
activities that result in
etc.
sustainable resource
management and
utilization. Thus, they need
to know benefits, costs/
risks and their roles in the
BR management process
since they interact closely
with resources, addressing
drivers.
These directly or indirectly
Large-small scale timber influence BR management.
investors They play role in regulating
NTFP product-based BR products (timber and
enterprises (e.g. spices, non-timber).
coffee, honey) Their involvement and
Private sectors Woreda OEFCCA Agri-business believes in the goal of BR
Coffee traders (OCFCU) management is essential to
Coffee washing machine help regulate products they
owners purchase and to ensure that
Coffee producer’s what they get is obtained
cooperatives. through sustainably
managed ecosystem.
Oromia Institute of
Agriculture Research Research and Outreach;
Jimma University, Mettu Generating and
Academic/ University, Wollega dissemination of new
Research Zonal OEFCCA University knowledge
institute Ethiopian Biodiversity Participation in monitoring
Institute (EBI) and community outreach
Environment and Forest services
Research Institute
Oromia Development
Support in project activity
Organization,
implementation;
Unions
CSO/NGOs/ Fund raising and resource
Oromia women Association
multination OEFCCA mobilization
Oromia youth association
institutions Research and education
UNESCO, PHE-EC, GIZ/
Marketing and livelihood
UNIQE-NABU, Ethio-
improvement
Wetlands and ECCF

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 65

4.8. Legal and institutional arrangement
As briefly discussed in the previous sections, the YCFBR management requires reaching out to
huge number of stakeholders across the biosphere reserveterritory. It will cover the whole six
woredas within the biosphere reserveboundary and surrounding environs that will be conducted
at zone and woreda level with the support of regional and federal structures.

A system of structure at all administrative structure level that support and facilitate effective con-
sultation need to be developed. Putting such a system in place reduces implementation costs
particularly that of management and enhance decision-making process, while also enhancing
efficiency in the implementation the BR action plans. The management planning process has em-
ployed participatory approaches as depicted in figure 9 below. It is believed that this model en-
ables and allows the full participation of all relevant stakeholders and preplanning for increasing
flexibility and tap opportunities.

Figure 9 The BR management planning cycle

66 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

Figure 10 Proposed Management Structure

As indicated above in figure 9, this optional structure proposes a five level (Federal, Region, Zone,
Woreda and Kebele) management structure that promotes effective BR implementation process
and empowerment of stakeholders at their respective levels to ensure that the program informs
benefits and risks and also be informed risks and concerns from the stakeholders; hence the pro-
gram is well streamlined and accessed by all categories of stakeholders at all levels. The structure
at zone level has three units, namely, Zonal level steering committee, BR Technical Team and BR
Management Team. For this, a BR management unit established at zone level to facilitate the im-
plementation of the management plan and the technical team established at zone level will back
up the BR management unit technically. The BR implementation unit is expected to be established
at woreda and kebele levels. This unit is responsible to support and coordinate the implementa-
tion of BR management plan. Sectors planning at a woreda level should be coordinated and every
sector office has to mainstream BR related activities.

This proposed structure opts to facilitate effective and efficient implementation of the Yayu Cof-
fee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan. This management plan will also be realized with
close consultation of other Federal and Regional stakeholders including the international devel-
opment partners. The management unitstake responsibility for mainstreaming, implementing
and monitoring of the management [Link] sector heads should provide supervision
and steering and 1-2 meetings per year. Private sectors need to participate on specific issues such
as marketing opportunities and NGOs for PFM monitoring etc. meet with and support the man-
agement units now and then based on needs and requests. UNIQUE/NABU is about to provide
financial support to zonal management unit.

4.9. Research, Monitoring and Communication

Research, Monitoring and Communication will ascertain that the biosphere reserve management
has a good foundation, and that the nature and environmental policies are being based on sci-

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 67

entific knowledge. The government and its development partners will expand basic knowledge
build-up and nature monitoring to included knowledge on how to conserve and exploit the bio-
sphere reservesources in a sustainable manner, and how to improve our knowledge about solu-
tions and decision making that ensure the balance between nature conservation and economic
utilization. The management team will also increase activities on socio-economic analysis of costs
and benefits in connection with conservation of biodiversity.

The YBR should provide guidance so that each BR can become firmly rooted in the social, cultural,
and economic fabric of its associated communities. These communities should derive tangible
benefits from participation in BR activities, such as international recognition and linkages, a stron-
ger voice in environmental management, better access to scientific information, employment
opportunities, enhanced valuation of traditional uses and cultural integrity, improved access to
financial and technical resources, and opportunities to create partnerships that enable stakehold-
ers to educate each other on the benefits of integrating conservation and development. Several
general requirements for knowledge build-up are linked to the specific initiatives of this action
plan:

a) Expansion of fundamental knowledge about occurrence and distribution of habitats and spe-
cies, and development of individual indicators for status and development process,

b) Development of agricultural practices in transition area that safeguard high environmental

standards and biodiversity,

c) Establishment of research program for organic farming and marketing,

d) Development of models for elucidation of operational and socio-economic consequences of

different measures,

e) Cross-disciplinary and holistic analyses of opportunities and conflicts in connection with con-
servation and land use, and

f ) Expansion of knowledge about public and NTFPs including ecotourism consumption patterns
regarding use of nature and marketing strategy.

The individual, specific need for knowledge build-up must be assessed and described in more
detail by all relevant stakeholders including universities and research institutions around the Bio-
sphere reservesites under OEFCCA and OFWE. The government and its partners place emphasis
on disseminating the existing knowledge on the importance of biosphere reserve management
for the growth and transformation of local and national economies and contribution to the global
bio-cultural diversity as widely so that as many interested people as possible can get insight into
the results.

4.10. Resource Mobilization

One of the primary functions of the management entity is to obtain fund and resources for the
biosphere reserve and to ensure that these resources are invested or applied in the most efficient
manner. The sources of resources could be from Federal, Regional and local government budgets,
mainly through MEFCC as the implementation of the plan is part of the duties and responsibilities
of various offices. It also come from local, national or international partners through application of
different fund-raising strategies facilitated and coordinated by OFWE, and OEFCCA. Also, it is im-
portant that resources be applied from the Oromia Science and Technology Commission, Ministry
of Science and Technology, IlluAbbaBor and Buno-Bedele zone and woreda administrations, CRGE
facility, local and national private partnership resources.

1) Biodiversity International (BI);

2) Centre for Development Research (ZEF);
3) Conservation International (CI);
4) Earth watch Institute;
5) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO);
6) Global Environmental Facility (GEF);

68 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

7) Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS);
8) International Council for Science (ICSU);
9) International Fund administered by the World Bank;
10) International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI);
11) International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN);
12) The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU);
13) Ramsar Convention on Wetlands;
14) UN World Heritage Convention;
15) United Nations Environment Program & United Development program (UNEP&UNDP);
16) United Nations HABITAT;
17) United States Agency for International Development (USAID);
18) World Resources Institute (WRI);
19) World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF); and
20) DFID etc. Furthermore, the management unit shall develop a modality to tap resources through
the implementation of Payment for Environmental Services (PES).

The successful implementation of this management plan requires the consultation and engage-
ment of the end beneficiaries, the communities. This is also requiring appropriate marketing strat-
egies with the engagements of green entrepreneurs. To achieve this objective, multi-stakeholder
consultation and participation forum should be facilitated and established.

The aim of developing alternative livelihood such as the ecotourism infrastructure includes the
following:
 Promote experimental cultural enrichment, environmental education, outdoor recreation and
access to services for tourists and residents.

 Attract visitors to the region using the UNESCO Biosphere reserve brand recognized across Yayu
Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve locally and internationally.

 Enhance visitor and resident understanding about unique natural and cultural features of YCF-
BR and its unique wild coffee gene pool.

 Encourage respect for environmental and cultural integrity.

 Increase tourist visit duration to support market ready attractions and communities.

 Encourage cooperation among relevant stakeholders such as entrepreneurs and communities

to enhance the biosphere reserveprofile as a destination area.

 Enhance opportunities for YCFBR revenue generation through its ‘Champions of the biosphere
reserve’ strategy.

Strategies to achieve marketing objectives

 Advance marketing Collaboration with federal, regional and zonal and woreda agency repre-
sentatives, municipalities and cultural interest groups locally and internationally.

 Use the UNESCO/YCFBR logo on highway signs, “brand name of wild coffee arabica” decals, bro-
chures/rack cards and other promotional materials, coupled with ‘QR’ code icons to provide a link
with the online “Map Application” and website mobile information source for the region.

 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve is developing brand identification including title and
logo standards to be used at zone and woreda entry with the cooperation local, national and in-
ternational development partners and business entities.

 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve will facilitate partnerships with compatible enterprises
and governments to advance its mission, objectives and strategic marketing plan.

 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve will facilitate the presentation of special events that

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 69

demonstrate and celebrate the cultural richness, natural environment, and sustainable resource
use in the biosphere.

 Develop and use state of the art technology to communicate heritage information, access to
cultural and natural features, regular community events and programs.

Market Targets

It is believed that the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve features a unique variety of cultural,
natural, and institutional assets that can be promoted to specific ‘market sectors’ within the wore-
da, and in a broader national and international context.

Advertising in specific target markets

In context with the target audiences listed above Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve will work
with the National Biosphere Reserves and the Ethiopia Council for UNESCO to enhance promo-
tional material associated with other Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve and the global UNES-
CO brand. Establish Yayu website with the domain name of the Coffee forest biodiversity:

a) Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve will work with parks, culture and tourism agency, Ethiopi-
an airlines, Ethiopian tour operators, hotel owner association and the Oromia Environment Forest
and Climate Change Authority, Oromia Forest Wildlife Enterprise, and other relevant stakeholders
to support activities and promotional material development.

b) Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve is exploring opportunities to partner with other’s experi-
ence and transportation related associations, businesses, and industry to develop mutually bene-
ficial marketing/advertising strategies.

Community Benefit Sharing Strategies

Community benefit sharing strategy is a mechanism that will be developed to equitably share the
YCFBR resources among the local communities. To realize the provision of resource ownership
and incentives to the local community, detail benefit sharing schemes should be outlined and
installed by the YCFBR management unit. In order to make the schemes effective, business plan
should be developed by the zonal Cooperative.

4.11. Indicators, Monitoring and Review

As shown in table 11 below, overall nature and environmental monitoring will develop and im-
prove our understanding of trends in biodiversity and whether biosphere reserve conservation
efforts are producing the results desired. The concerted activity of interest organizations (public,
private and community institutions) and YBR committee of biosphere reserve management, au-
thorities and ministries in overall nature monitoring and management efforts need to be coordi-
nated and properly documented as an input for adaptive management exercise.

In this way, the government together with YBR will ensure that overall Yayu coffee forest bio-
sphere reserveand its environment monitoring contribute to the necessary overview of biodiver-
sity trends in Yayuin particular and Ethiopia in general, including wild coffee Arabica gen pool
particular and species diversity in general, which Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve manage-
ment is committed to conserve and protect. As part of the national and regional mandates, the
Oromia Environment, Forest and Climate Change Authority, Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise
together with Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity, Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry
of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will facilitate and coordinate this process.

The mid-term evaluation will serve as a basis for decisions concerning adjustments to the com-
munity action plan and its implementation until 2028 when a final evaluation of target perfor-
mance will be carried out. A system of targeted and comprehensive indicators, which show the
general trend in certain main groups within bio-cultural diversity, will be defined via Collaboration
between the institutions and interest organizations involved including the private sectors. While
monitoring the biosphere reserve management plan implementation, the following points have

70 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

to put into consideration and consulted with the relevant stakeholders regularly. Land, water, and
biotic resources are assigned livelihood values but also symbolic and religious significance.

Whilst indigenous and local governance of natural resources responses to many of the needs of
local peoples, the diverse concerns of different groups within communities are often differentially
accommodated. Indeed, in all societies various types of co-management agreement shall be fair
and capable of accommodating the specific interests of different social actors (Adams, 1996 ).The
agricultural and industrial activities are based on the principle of sustainable development and ac-
commodate the principle of MAB and need to be considered during the participatory monitoring
of the effectiveness and efficiency of the management [Link] participatory monitoring process
will enable to adopt flexible adaptive management strategy.

Table 14. Indicators to monitor the implementation of participatory management agreement

Description Indicators Example in Yayu BR

-Strengthen of local institutions -Frequency of village assembly
Stewardship of -Maintenance of natural -Role of traditional chief (Abba Gedaa) in the
natural resources resource flows village assemblies
-NTFP including coffee harvest
-Effectiveness of indigenous
-Number water points protected
Respect for the regulations
-Use of local species in reforestation and
land -Extent of vegetation cover in
afforestation
each zone

-Maintenance of sacred sites

Ecological -Quality of environment in the sacred sites
-Enforcement of indigenous
enhancement -Frequency of standing of specific tree species
regulations

Slope
-Extent of vegetation cover -Maintenance of terraces by local community
protection and
-Extent of gully erosion -Rehabilitation of specific sites in BR zones
rehabilitation

-Infrastructure developed -Cultural and archeological sites such as Abba

Eco-tourism
-Marketing strategies including Gedaa assembly sites
developed
promotion of potential sites -Natural beauty and wild coffee

-Research conducted by local universities

Promote and -Communication strategies
-Traditional resource management and
strengthen -Research and training
communication strategies
Communication -Awareness about the resources
-Assessment conducted by GO, NGOs and other
and partnership and sustainable utilization
partners

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 71

PART V: Concluding Remarks and Recommendations
5.1 Concluding Remarks

Ibyfages
the conversion and degradation of the forest continues, it will result several irreversible dam-
in the ecosystem that affect the local community most. This problem is well understood
different stakeholders including the community and their partners at the government office.
As clearly stated at different forums; of addressing this issue is one of the priorities of the natural
resource management team. They also appreciate the complexity of the problem, as there are
various actors with different interest.

One of their greatest concerns in this regard is the increasing number of youth without proper
unemployment and small or no landholdings. For these groups, logging is the first option that has
created great pressure on the forest and other biodiversity of the area. Regarding managing the
resources, there must be a mechanism that helps to address the multiple challenges the youth
faces and engage them in management of their resource in sustainable manner. Therefore, it is
advisable to include the integrated youth training and benefit sharing packages in the plan.

The other pressing issue is the legal and illegal settlement, mainly in buffer and transition areas
of the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve. These settlements are usually associated with defor-
estation due to agricultural expansion, firewood collection, charcoal production and other liveli-
hood activities.

The other impression is regarding the local knowledge of the participants. They can well define
the biodiversity and its importance to sustain their livelihood in general. The elderly still believes
that “the forest is their life” they also appreciate the importance of biodiversity (medicine and use
of different tools from wetlands and honey etc.). They also understood the ecosystem services
such as microclimate and importance of trees in preventing soil erosion.

The youth also clearly understand the importance of the forest as livelihood opportunity. They
have also basic understanding of the components of the ecosystem.

This Management Plan is intended to be substantially implemented during the next decade with
support from OEFCCA, OFWE, MoST, MoCT, MEFCC, Oromia Bureau of Agriculture and Natural
Resource, MAB’s member agencies, NGOs, Private Organizations, and an expanding community of
BR stakeholders at the local level. Although progress in implementing the BRP is possible under a
wide range of funding situations, full implementation of the plan will require national and region-
al commitment, and government and private support at all levels. Within the regional MAB Pro-
gram, the Biosphere Reserve Directorate at MoST, MEFCC, OEFCCA, OFWE and the YCFBR should
lead responsibilities for generating this support. In general, the Yayu Coffee Forest Management
and livelihood security will be sustained through:

 Secure access to land of small scale farmers on equitable sharing;

 A vibrant market system, well linked to local, national and international buyers;

 Superb research (Mettu, Jimma and Wellega Universities) including advice on how to grow cof-
fee and crops organically and conduct farm-based experimental trial;

 Community credit schemes to assist both agriculture and agri-businesses;

 Great care to protect environmental resources such as soil and water conservation, soil fertility
(e.g., agro-forestry practices, rehabilitation and nursery development sustained by long term land
leases/ tenure systems;

 Farmers capacity building and training; and

 Community organizations sharing irrigation facilities, storage facilities and farming and pro-
cessing machines through green and private enterprises.

72 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

5.2 Recommendations
To realize the intended objectives:

1) Assess approaches being used to encourage multi-sector involvement in biosphere reserveor

ecosystem management elsewhere in the world.

2) Identify potential BR stakeholders, consider techniques and methods of cooperation used suc-
cessfully elsewhere, and assess the feasibility of alternative approaches for implementing MAB
concepts.

3) Encourage stakeholders, including local communities and traditional resource users, to par-
ticipate fully in identifying issues of concern and in establishing cooperative YCFBR programs,
organizations, and mechanisms that enable full consideration of different positions in building
community-wide consensus on conservation and development issues.

4) The YCFBR management team should facilitate resources for the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere
Reserve Program.

5) To implement YCFBR, fund raising strategies should be in place and the Local, Regional and
National partnersshould:

 Review YFCBRP’s annual program plan and appropriate funds for its annual activities. Allocated
funds will support the administration of the BR Management Unit at Zone level. Some examples
of these activities are:

o BR feasibility studies and program planning;

o BR organization and coordination;
o Research, Education and Demonstration Projects;
o Information Networking; and
o Forums on conservation and development issues.

 Encourage donor organizations to support international activities involving YCFBRs.

 Cooperate with the UNESCO MAB Secretariat to coordinate funding and administrative support
for YBR participation in international programs and projects.

 Identify, evaluate, and pursue opportunities to increase private sector funding and encourage
private sector efforts to raise funds for the YCFBR.

 Develop an aggressive marketing strategy for Yayu Forest Coffee Biosphere reserve, including
effective communication of the YCFBR mission and accomplishmentstargeted at potential agency
and private sources of support.

6) As has been witnessed during the course of discussions with stakeholders at different level, the
name Yayu and Yayo were the source of argument; because according to the local community,
the name Yayo has a meaning; it is clan [Link], the concerned body has to come up with
solutions. In this case, it is advisable to follow standard procedures to convince the UNESCOOffi-
cialsto change the name from Yayu to Yayo or any other name acceptable to the community.

7) The name of the Biosphere reserveitself is becoming a source of argument among the stake-
[Link], it needs the attention of the concerned body to give a name for the biosphere
reservethat reconciles the interest of stakeholders who have issue in the BR naming. Same proce-
dure should be followed as stated in no.6.

8) The physical demarcation of the area i.e. the three zoning-buffers, transition, and the core area
of the biosphere reserveshould be doneatleast to the understanding of the community.

9) Population pressure is identified as the driving forces to encroach the biosphere; thus, em-
phasis should be given on demographic issues such as the effect of population pressure on the

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 73

biosphere reservedue to increasing fertility rates, illegal migration and settlement and generally
population dynamics and trends.

10) Youth Unemployment repeatedly raised as a major concern during the course of discussions
with different stakeholders at different level. Thus, to address this problem, green entrepreneur-
ships should be established as indicted in this management plan as one of the deliverables in the
coming ten years.

11) In the future, to avoid broken promises by the researchers, researchers should get approval
from the concerned body not to mislead the community with unwanted promises.

12) Major activities and deliverables indicated in this management plan need to be addressed by
the respective stakeholders as per the timeframe.

74 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

Annexes
Annex 1. Summary of BR Management Plan Proposed by the Community and
Compiled by the kebele Management Team

Importance of the
Stakeholders need to be
biosphere reservefor Major concerns
participated
local community

Sources of income/ -Lack of clear zonation and Local institutions such as

sources of local demarcation of each zonation Gadaa-teaching the value of tree
livelihood -Lack of land and property in Oromo culture
Sources of Livestock ownership certification Iddirs-mobilize the community
fodder -Increased illegal agricultural and resources towards natural
Tourism expansion resource conservation
Sources of fish Increased illegal timber local elders-teaching the
Sources of NTFP production and cutting of trees function conserving nature
Job creation for additional income generation based on their experience and
Sources of fishing especially by the poor households historical account
Sources for irrigation Lack of conservation and Religious institutions-teaching
Means to regulate rehabilitation strategy for the communities about the use of
micro-climatic biosphere conserving nature in places of
condition Lack of knowledge on biosphere worship
Sources of water and reservezonation, conservation and Kebele administration- overall
rain sustainable utilization of resources regulation of the conservation
Balance climate and Lack of sense of ownership and use of resources and nature
create conducive Decline of soil fertility and decline in the biosphere reserve
living condition agricultural productivity in -Development groups or 1:5
Ecosystem balance Transition area groups
Space for wild Lack of coffee ownership in the Youth association-labor services
Animals (habitat for buffer zone in conservation.
wildlife) Expansion of coffee plantation -All kinds of government
Sources of traditional and ‘khat’ production in buffer structure
medicine (medicinal zone -Zone and woreda
plants) Illegal fire wood and charcoal administrations
Serve us carbon production -OFWE
sequestration and Forest fire -OEFCCA
means for income Illegal wildlife hunting -Universities and research
generation through Collecting wild coffee from core institutions
carbon marketing area -Mettu University
Increase in exotic tree plantation -Zone and woreda culture and
such as eucalyptus tourism offices
Population increase and illegal -Bureau of Livestock and
settlement and associated poverty fisheries
(landless community) -Zone and woreda cooperatives
Soil erosion in Transition areas
decline productivity
Lack and shortage of market
linkages for BR products at local,
regional and national level
Increased number of some wildlife
which affects the production at
transitional and buffer zones

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 75

Annex 2. Summary of Stakeholders’ Perspective at zonal
and woreda Level

Core issues identified by the Proposed priority activities to be considered

stakeholders that need to be addresses in the management plan
by the management plan

The participants identified major  Strengthening of legal bodies of biosphere
challenges of the biosphere reserveand its reservemanagement, training on land
surrounding, which include but not limited resources, experience sharing, and provided
to: technical training on BR management
 Lack of institutionalized organ  Capacity building of the community,
responsible for permanent Livelihood diversification and provision of
management and conservation of the some basic social services
biosphere.  Devise a mechanism to tackle the
 Lack of physical demarcation of challenge of growing population pressure
the area. The three zoning-buffer, on environment and particularly on Yayu
transition, and the core area of the Coffee Forest Biosphere
biosphere reservephysical demarcation  Strengthen and scale up of ‘Reproductive
is not completed Health/ Family Planning intervention.
 Private coffee investment expansion in  Integrated Watershed management
the area approaches.
 Illegal settlements particularly around  Enhance research that solves the problem
Yayu and Alge-Sachi woredas of the community
 Expanding coffee cultivation and  Name the Biosphere Reserve ‘Illu’ instead of
plantation by resident HHs and private Yayu
investors  Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
 Lack of strong regulatory organs and studies of the companies and to consider
commitment particularly at local levels the companies as potential stakeholders to
 Lack of actors’ coordination work together concerning the biosphere
 Why the Biosphere reserveis named reserve
Yayu why not Doreni, Alge-Sachi, etc.-  Participatory forest management plan and
the problem of naming cooperatives establishment
 Yayu fertilizer industry, Geba  In the future, researchers should get
hydroelectric power, and Mining-Yayu approval from the concerned body not to
coal industry from environmental/ mislead the community with unwanted
destruction point of view promises
 Branding of Yayu wild coffee and honey
 Broken promises to the community by
different researchers

Even though a number of issues raised by the stakeholders, more emphasis should be given for
the following:

 Strengthening of legal bodies of biosphere reservemanagement, training on land resources,

experience sharing, and provide technical training on BR management
 Capacity building of the community, Livelihood diversification and provision of basic social
services
 Devise a mechanism to tackle the challenge of growing population pressure on environment
and particularly on Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere
 Strengthen and scale up of ‘Reproductive Health/ Family Planning intervention
 Integrated Watershed management approaches
 Establishing clear benefit sharing strategies among the communities
 Enhance research that addresses the problem of local community.

76 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

Annex 3. List of restricted activities in the buffer zone and
Core area
S/N Activities Biosphere areas/zones
1 Cutting trees for timber production Core, Buffer
2 Coffee plantation Core
3 Firewood/ coal production/collection Core, buffer
4 Settlement/residence Core, buffer
5 Farming Core, buffer
6 Grazing Core, buffer
7 Hunting wild animals Core
8 Bee keeping Core
9 Investment Core, buffer
10 Mining Core, buffer
11 Spices collection/farming Core

Annex 4. Data Collection Guide for the Community

Planning Team
1. Local administration

 Name of Woreda
 Name of kebele
 Zone
 Name of specific village
 Potential biosphere reserve zonation: is it core, buffer or transition?

2. Socio-economic setting of the area, socio-demographic characteristics

 Physical location (if possible coordinate position)

 Identify major natural resources, their types, relative importance, distribution, which are being
used/sold, how are they being produced, how can the production could be improved and be-
come sustainable?
 Population (growth and trends, fertility)
 Ethnic and religious distribution
 Major economic activities
 Tourism attraction sites
 Any cultural sites
 Major socio-economic problems and priorities

3. Society and the biosphere reserve interaction-benefits

 Identify major benefits-economic, cultural and ecosystem

 Livelihood typologies-coffee production, chat, crop, Livestock, honey and other NTFP, tourism,
timber etc.
 Benefits for women, youths, elders, etc.

4. Society and the biosphere reserve interaction - threats

Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan 77

 Identify major threats-to society-livelihood, to environment
 Identify the causes of each threats-population, lack of alternative energy and other income
sources, lack of other infrastructure such as market, road, loan etc.
 Mitigation measures to reduce adverse impacts-such as legal vs socio-physical action taken to
reduce the harms

5. Identifying local stakeholders and their role-CBOs

Community-based associations and their role in managing the biosphere

 Gada
 Iddir
 Council of elders
 Religious institutions

Government structures

 Tokko-shane/raayyaa-development army
 Development groups
 Kebele/zone
 Youth/women associations
 Probe other institutions and their roles
 Woreda administration and their various offices (environment protection office, forest and wild
life enterprise)
 Zone, regional, and federal (environment protection office, forest and wildlife enterprise)
Institutions
 Universities and other research institutions (Mettu and Jimma university)
Civil societies
 NGOs and funding agencies
 Others,

Private sectors

 Major investments

6. Major activities to be included/not to be included in the plan?

 Activities to be allowed/not allowed practiced by the community to sustain their livelihood in
the biosphere
 Major activities to be /not be performed in the:
 Core area
 Buffer zone
 Transition area

7. How to manage, monitor and evaluate the plan?

 Primarily responsible organ to follow up the management plan?

 Possible community roles
 Action planning
 Monitoring mechanisms
 Cost requirement and its sources-local level fund raising strategies

8. Other issues to be included in the biosphere reserve plan?

 Communication strategies
 Community leaderships

The above stated guiding questions were translated into ‘Afaan Oromo’ and used in PRA tools and
conversations carried out based on the same.

78 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan

Annex 5. Checklist Employed During the Transect Walk
 Characterization of Biophysical features

 Type of Zonation (Core, Buffer, and Transition) and its proximity to the villages and Infrastruc-
tures

 What do you understand about the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere?

 What is your knowledge about planning and where did you get this knowledge?

 Where and from whom did you get the knowledge/ information about biosphere reserve and
its importance?

 How did you do the planning? How many of you get involved in the community conversation/
planning process?

 Do you believe that there was enough participation of youth groups? Women groups? Elder
groups? And other groups in your village?

 Did the planning team allocate sufficient time for the discussion?
 How many times did you meet to discuss about the planning process for the case of biosphere
reserve management?

 Do you have any opinion about the planning process?

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80 Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve Management Plan