THE CHURCH FORESTS OF ETHIOPIA
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- A special interview with global conservation pioneer Dr Alemayehu Wassie Eschete, known for his work on Ethiopia's Church Forests, carried out at Yale University in April 2024 to coincide with my photographic exhibition Nature's Sanctuaries at the Yale Macmillan Centre.
A constellation of over 35,000 forests patches surround circular Tewahedo Orthodox churches in Amhara province in Northern Ethiopia protected as a tenet of faith. They represent the majority of the mature forests in this vast region where the Blue Nile arises. Over 80% of the Nile's water comes from this region during the rainy season.
Their spiritual and cultural important equals their ecological significance. Through conflict and upheaval over centuries they have endured. Today, they are threatened by expanding agriculture and an almost imperceptible thinning of the canopy. There are simple and scalable solutions possible but they need support.
Alemayehu Wassie Eshete, PhD, Executive Director of ORDA Ethiopia. The Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA) protects and restores forests in the northern highlands of Ethiopia, the origin of most of the Nile’s water.
For more information:
www.theguardia...
www.nature.com...
www.nationalge...
To support the construction of conservation walls:
treefoundation...
So grateful for your beautiful capturing of Dr Alemayehu's wise words and perspective. We are sharing with our whole team, Ethiopian coffee in hand! ☕🇪🇹
I really want to get back and see the work you have done of which my book has play a small part supporting. Glad your work grows! Thank you for sharing
This is wonderful! Indeed, for centuries the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church has maintained the biodiversity of Ethiopia. It should also be noted that the Church is the soul foundation of the country pioneering the education, judiciary and other key sectors that are critical for nation formation. Unfortunately, the Churches in Ethiopia are under major attacks from the very government that supposed to protect it.
They are significant in so many ways, cultural and ecological. It is amazing they have endured for so long, despite battles internal and external.
His books has always been an inspiration and insight for many!!
I only wish they were in English! They sounds like fantastic adventures.
@@Kieran_Dodds yes, have you heard about them? We can manage in translating in to English, iff. Thankfully.
@@Adbar_Africa Yes I chatted to him about them and also my friends were in awe. Do you know if they available online? Maybe google translate could help me.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks for showing this to the world. It's very noticeable that the remaining forests in Ethiopia are within churches' perimeter. Most in eastern parts of Ethiopia, face forest fire caused by people trying to produce charcoal. My favorite place is Asebot Monastery ❤
Thank you for sharing this. That monastery has significant forest and it is the main green space in the surrounding area. I haven’t been that far east in the country, but should. Thank you
Dr Alemayehu is a spectacular scholar working tirelessly for his country in a number of ways.
Even, his current office is doing an amazing exemplary conservation activities, in a challenging environment.
I am always impressed the way he see and do things.
Well done!
Dr. Alemayehu Wase is a person who knows how to restore Ethiopia's forest and ecosystem and is a person who knows the heart of change and we thank him. The proposed solution to expand and protect this ecosystem is very good and widely accepted. In addition to this, especially in the cities, large-scale constructions are currently being carried out by churches, the expansion of the inner compound of the church by impervious surface and the expansion of non-indigenous tree species, as well as the proliferation of permanent cemeteries, are becoming a big challenge for replacement seedlings.
It is good to hear this is a cultural movement. The EOC has also woken up to the need and opportunity. I only hope more external conservation walls can be built fast.
Ethiopian Orthodox Church have a vital role for biodiversity.
Thank you for your acknowledgement.
That is correct, something the wider world can learn from. The root is the same as global Christianity but it is lived locally and uniquely too.
Wow! It's amazing l really appreciate u
Thank you for watching. I appreciate Dr A and the communities who just do what they do:)
Its absolutely incredible. Dr. Alemayehu is one of the few Ethiopian scholars who values his country and church. Thank you Kerean for taking the effort to pay attention to his work. But my question is: how is he doing this work? Does he have a team or
He is a great man. He works as director of ORDA doing restoration of landscapes but also works with others to restore Church Forests. Some overseas NGOs like TREE foundation. Thank you
The thing is the gov't nowadays are thinning the churches forest even more mainly in the capital city taking their lands in the name of citys corridor development. Due to the almost Genocidal war between the gov't and the amhara people, the northern highland churches(consist majority of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo church) are being fired with forests. This needs to be told to the world. Thankyou for sharing this for the whole world🙏🙏🙏, his name on the description needs to be corrected, it's Wassei not waste! Thankyou!
Thank you yes that must have autocorrected. It was correct lower down and in the actual subtitles.
The political situation seems so hard to comprehend. The conservation work continues despite this, growing a forest to benefit society in good times and bad.
Thank you again for writing.
I'm not in possession of Ethiopian coffee (at the moment) but I did make a cup of instant decaf (it's 7.27pm here) as per your instructions...nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed your video again. 😁👍
😂 at 730pm that sounds wise. It all started in Ethiopia even if the dust you rehydrated might have only a faint memory of the origins! Thanks for watching and saying!
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