Indigenous ways of environmental protection in Gedeo community, Southern Ethiopia: A socio-ecological perspective

Indigenous beliefs, sacred sites, and cultural practices in the Gedeo community of southern Ethiopia play a crucial role in environmental conservation. Sacred forests, protected by social taboos and traditional rules (seera), exhibit higher tree biodiversity and better preservation compared to adjacent non-sacred farming habitats. These mechanisms limit human interference, such as tree cutting or harming wildlife, except for ritual purposes with cultural elders' consent. The study highlights that indigenous knowledge (IK) is an effective tool for conserving degraded tropical ecosystems and mitigating climate change impacts. However, factors like religious monotheism, changing social norms, and the erosion of ancestral beliefs threaten these traditional practices, necessitating formal legal enforcement to safeguard sacred forests.

Maru, Y., Gebrekirstos, A., & Haile, G. (2020). Indigenous ways of environmental protection in Gedeo community, Southern Ethiopia: A socio-ecological perspective. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 6(1), 1766732. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2020.1766732