Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-24 23:30:45|Editor: Mu XuequanVideo Player CloseADDIS ABABA Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has pledged to build Ethiopia's capacity toward biodiversity conservation through enhanced management of protected areas. The UNDP and the Ethiopian government on Thursday signed a project agreement that envisages building Ethiopia's capacity for biodiversity conservation through increased effectiveness of protected area management and implementation of measures to reduce illegal wildlife trade and poaching. Admassu Nebebe, Deputy Minister of MoFEC, said the project's four major components include protected area management and biodiversity conservation, implementation of anti-trafficking measures, landscape approach to forecast and agro-biodiversity conservation. The project also aims to combat illegal wildlife trade, especially in the preservation of the decreasing population of elephants that have been targeted for illegal trade, it was noted. The project will be implemented in partnership with the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) in five national parks in Ethiopia that have the largest elephant populations in the country, it was indicated.

Source: Ethiopian News August 24, 2017 15:33 UTC