Abstract:
In Ethiopia, conservation practices, and challenges of national park was studied by many
researchers, but there is limited information about conservation practices and its challenges
on the development of Semien Mountains National Park in Debark Woreda. The aim of this
study was to assess conservation practices and its challenges on the development of Semien
Mountains National Park, to assess the conservation practices under taken in Semien
Mountains National Park, to investigate the main challenges facing Semien Mountains
National Park, to examine the socio- economic importance of Semein Mountains National
Park. This research was made using both qualitative and quantitative (mixed) approaches. The
three rural Kebeles were selected from Debark Woreda by lottery method. And 120
respondents were selected by using systematic random sampling to collect data using
questionnaire. The primary data were collected through household survey, key informant
interview, field observation and focus group discussion. Further the study was supplemented
by secondary information collected from various published and unpublished sources. Data
were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, pie-chart, bar
graph and inferential statistical techniques (chis-square, binary logistic regression model).
The result shows, planting of trees, including significant areas to the park were some of the
conservation practices taken on SMNP. The most and significant challenges that threat the
Semien Mountains National Park were human encroachment, lack of awareness, government
policy, lack of finance, human power, farm land expansion, overgrazing, wild fire, illegal
hunting and power transmission. The local community in the study areas benefited from the
national park in the form of water supply, source of fuel wood, grazing and cultivation of land,
income generating from tourism as guider and cooker as well as mule rent. However, the
benefit of Semien Mountains National Park in terms of getting foreign currency, source of
income are below the expected.
