THIS IS POST GRADUATE THESIS IN Mekele University. for the fulfillment of MA in Social Anthropology-specialization in Environmental Anthropology. intensive field observation made to conduct this research.the finding shows the role of the Ethiopian army in biodiversity conservation as role model of the military.it also discuses the impact of conflict on natural environment,the relation between the military with the environment etc.

1. ENVIRONMENT, CONFLICT AND THE MILITARY IN
ETHIOPIA: CASE STUDY OF TOLEY
MILITARY TRAINING CENTRE, OROMYA REGIONAL
STATE, JIMA ZONE, ETHIOPIA
BY: DESSALEGN DACHE
MEKEL UNIVERSITY
ADVISOR: DR. JAMES N. BONDLA
CO-ADVISOR: DR. L. N. DASH
MEKELE –ETHIOPIA
May 2013

2. Background of the Study
Ethiopia is a country of :
• Geographic , Genetic And Biological Diversity
• One of domestication and diversification centers
Its Environmental challenges are
• Rapid Deforestation
• Environmental degradation
• extinction of both plant and animal species
Factors
• Increasing human and animal population
• Over grazing and cutting trees over centuries
• Social conflicts and political unrest
• Government policies
Currently, a number of environmental policies and regulations enacted
;challenged by :
• Dis-functioning of environmental units
• Lack of environmental awareness among federal agencies
• lack of guidelines for the functioning of environmental units

3. Statement of the Problem
• Environmental degradation causing natural hazards
(desertification, drought, famine; flood and health
problems),
• Renewable natural resources , seriously degraded and
affecting life quality of the people
• Situation desires policy oriented, organized and
coordinated action from all parties
• Rationales for INRM in the military :
- assigned responsibility of FDRE Policy to the military
- Values natural resources for the military
- Sustainable use of natural resources
- Civil defense mission of the military
- Conflict Management mission of the military

4. Research Questions
• What are the environmental and NRM policies of Ethiopia during
deferent regimes with especial reference to the military as
institutional framework?
• How natural resources were historically linked with violent conflicts
and how violent conflicts affected natural resource base of
Ethiopia?
• What challenges and opportunities characterize the military in the
integration of biodiversity conservation and/or natural resource
management to its main mission?
• How the military perceives and understand integrating natural
resource management and biodiversity conservation to its mission?
• How relevant environmental policies of FDRE concerning natural
resource management and biodiversity conservation are integrated
and implemented in the military?

5. Objectives of the Study
1. To understand and analyze environmental policy of Ethiopia
during deferent regimes with especial reference to violent
conflicts and the military which is a federal executive organ.
2. To understand and analyze the current institutional
arrangements and activities of military training centers in
protection, conservation and management of natural
resources with special reference to TMTC.
3. To understand the perception of the military personnel on
environmental degradation and integrated natural
resource management in TMTC.
4. To assess the awareness of the military personnel on
environmental challenges.
5. To understand the role of different stakeholders particularly
regional state and federal state agencies in conserving and
protecting natural resources and biodiversity of military
lands.

6. Significant of the Study
INRM is New approach to the military;It :
• Contributes Empirical analysis on the perception and
institutional arrangements
• Contributes New knowledge for Ethiopia’s NRM and
biodiversity conservation
• Motivate scholars for further investigation in the theme
• Contributes functional information to NRM and biodiversity
conservation policies of the military
• Contributes for implementation of environmental policy of
FDRE
Scope of the Study
• Special focus on TMTC
• Historical perspectives on NRM, conflict and the military
during different regimes is analyzed
• Activities of the whole military through sampling is assessed

7. Limitations of the Study
• Financial , material and time constraint limited the
study to a single site
• Finding literature about the Ethiopian military on the
theme was difficult
• Imbalance in Composition of participants (more NCOs)
Research Methodology
- Ethnographic approach
- Both qualitative and quantitative data
- Primary and secondary data sources were reviewed
Research Design
- Descriptive case study was conducted in TMTC

8. Sampling Techniques and Procedure
• Stratified random sampling
• 10 Platoons from a total of 48 selected
randomly
• Questioner was distributed for all members of
randomly selected platoons.

9. Methods of Data Collection
• Survey of Respondents
• Participant Observation (25 days inside and
outside TMTC)
• Key Informants Interview
• Focus Group Discussion
• Case Histories
• Secondary Sources of Information
Description of the Study Area
• TMTC :
• located in Oromya Regional State, Jima
Zone, Chora Botera district, and Tolay sub district

10. CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Natural Resource, Conflict and the Military
• 40% of the wars were associated with natural
resources
- Contribute to outbreak of conflict
- Finance and sustain conflicts
- undermine peacemaking process
The mechanisms :
• Environmental degradation
• Abundance of natural resources
• Ecological transformation

11. The Impacts of Conflict on Natural Resources
• Direct impacts: polluting and hazardous substances in
to natural environment and destruct physical eco
system
• Indirect Impacts : are resulted from rehabilitation
activities arranged to local population who displaced of
war and conflict
• Institutional Impacts: Poor management, lack of
investment, break down of positive environmental
practices
How to minimize the impacts
• Integration of environmental considerations into all
aspects of military operational planning, training, and
execution

12. Requirements of INRM
• Collaboration with federal, state and local
community, sectors
• Environmental awareness and education for
military personnel
• Legislation
• Management plan
• Public involvement to provide impute about
issues
• Funding
• Serious commitment of the military
• Institutional arrangements
• Technical knowledge of resources
(www.dodbiodiversity.org, 2008)

13. CHAPTER III: GEOGRAPHY, NATURAL
RESOURCE, CONFLICTS AND MILITARY IN ETHIOPIA:
A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

14. Summary
1. Natural resources contributed to outbreak of external and
internal conflicts
• conflict, Natural resources relationship manifested through
Cultural of Ethiopia:
-National Anthems
- Leaders Discourses
• Conflicts in turn impacted Natural resources base in a
number of ways
- Diverted resources to military expenditure
- Damaged natural environment as fighting continued
- Produced further environmental degradation
- Destruction of forests and pollution of air and water bodies
during Ethio-Italian war

15. 2. Government policies contributed for both conflict and
environmental degradation
Internal Colonization and Modern State Formation in Ethiopia
Manlike II military expansion to S&SE in1880s
• Scarcity and abundance as driving forces of the conquest
- Disrupted managerial and administrative structure
- lifted power of local ethnic communities over natural
resources
- brought emergence of two classes : tenant and land lord
(P.Wood, 1993)
- brought about Land ownership by ruling class, Orthodox
Church and military personnel

16. Imperial Period
Government policy of the empirical regime was responsible
for environmental degradation in the northern highlands of
Ethiopia led to social degradation and finally to conflict in the
form of revolution that toppled the emperor in 1974(Lanz 1996
pp 158)

17. Dergue Regime
The policy:
• Abolishment in private ownership of natural resources
• Nationalization of natural resources
• Abolishment in Private ownership natural resources
• Prohibition of tenancy and transfer of land
• Top-down decision making process natural resources
Outcomes of the policy
• peasants opting for not to invest in agricultural production
• Everything comes under the control of the State
• Nobilities and military land lords had lost their lands
• land lords revolted and raised arm against the regime
• protracted armed conflict intensified during the military regime
• completely militarization of the nation
• Enormous human and natural resource cost

18. FDRE
Current issues
• Forests, endangered species, sensitive
ecosystems, etc. are not strictly protected
• Deforestation, overgrazing, soil
erosion, desertification and poor management of
natural resources
Ethio –Eritrea Conflict As A Case Of Natural
Resource War
Low Intensive Conflicts over arable
land, pasture, water points and forest resources
in Oromya , Somali and Gambela and SNNR
Regional States
- Natural resource conflicts are often aligned with
ethnicity and migration

19. Environmental Activities of FDRE Military
• Civil Defense Activities (80.88%)
• Environmental Management ( 97.64 %)
• Pro Development Activities (89.49 %)
• Humanitarian Activities (36.76%)
• Participation in Conflict Resolution
The military uses natural resources for:
• Training and education Protection /deterrence
• Shelter Weaponry
• Subsistence Economic gain
• Social services
- Recreation
- Symbolism

20. Some uses of NR in the military

21. Perception of the Military on Conflict Dynamics
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Terrorism NR & ENVT All
56%
22% 22%

22. CHAPTER VI
NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN TOLEY
MILITARY TRAINING CENTRE (TMTC)
• TMTC, Sanctuaries of Biodiversity

23. • Plantation Practice in TMTC

24. Military-Local Community
Relationship
• Closely co working with local
administration, community and local NGOs
• Give-and-take relationships between the
community and the military
• The military received respect, confidence and
trust from local community

25. Environmental Challenges and NRM in TMTC
• Depletion of Natural Resources (deforestation)
• Encroachment
• Deterioration of existing Infrastructures
• Soil Erosion
• Lack of Full Integration of Environmental Concerns
• Poor Land Management System
• Impacts of increasing Human and livestock population
around the site
• Low Environmental Awareness among the
Community
• Ill coordination and Involvement of Stakeholders
• Pollution of the Environment

26. photographs show ENVTL Challenges in TMTC
Deforestation
Encroachment
Pollution

27. CHAPTER VII: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Natural resources contributed the outbreak of conflict
and war ; and they have been victims of war and conflicts
2. Degradation of natural resources and government policies
have been contributed for armed social conflicts;
3. Military is serving the environment and natural
resources for a lot of usable and non usable services for
its mission accomplishment; calls for more integration of
environmental policies;
4. Natural resources managed by military, (especially in
training centers) deserve INRM ,because located in most
biologically rich regions, they are poorly managed
5. Natural resources in military sites being Challenged by
ENVTL threats such as fragmentation and reduction of
training lands , deforestation, soil erosion, Pollution
, biodiversity lose, habitat destruction;

28. 6. Factors for environmental challenges of military sites are
encroachment, activities of military, rapid
urbanization, population increase, poor site management
,low involvement of stakeholders, low public awareness
and disintegration of NRM;
7. Military sites can be extension of sanctuaries of
biodiversity because many wild animals and indigenous
and planted tree species are relatively better conserved
and protected ,due to military sites are protected for
safety and security reasons;
8. The military can be reliable partner of biodiversity
conservation , because it is actively engaged in plantation
and conservation and received recognition , trust and
confidence of local communities;
9. Disintegration of NRM and/or ENVTL policy in the military
manifested through absence of Legal frame
work, responsible organ, operational guidance, managerial
plan, resources allocation ( budget and skilled man
power), Training curricula for NRM, involvement of key
stakeholders.

29. Recommendations
• Integrate NRM to military mission for better management of the
environment and natural resources in the context of frequent
conflicts;
• Integrate environmental policy, natural resource management and
international environmental laws to the curricula of military training
and media to promote the awareness of military ;
• Establish strong institutional set up, enact internal environmental
policy and operational guidance on NRM for the military, provide
legal frame work to guide and coordinate different stockholders on
INRM;
• Establish workable EMS to sustain bench marking multiple efforts of
the military ,
• Empower responsible military or civilian organ to improve the
status of poorly managed military lands and other natural
resources.

30. • Focus on military occupied lands to minimize impacts;
highlight on arid and semi-arid lands ,mountains, river basins
and eroded lands around and inside military establishments;
maintain balance between plantation ,caretaking and
protection of previously planted trees and natural vegetation;
• Consider merits of military establishments especially training
centers for national biodiversity conservation efforts
• Invest in environmental management to support recovery and
development to avoid local conflicts over natural resources
• Coordinate with relevant local, regional and federal state
organs to provide comprehensive, long lasting solutions for
disputes and confusion over ownership of military
establishments
• Conduct further research on the area

31. I THANK YOU