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Nech Sar National Park deserve more tourists
BY YOSEF KETEMA
The park has two water bodies Lakes
of Chamo and Abaya which are separated
by ‘ Ye Egzer Dildiy’ meaning the bridge
of God. It is some sort of small mountain
land apart the two lakes and covered by
dark forest. The area around the lakes is
covered by green grasses and vegetation
as well as forests. But the rest part of the
park especially the main plain of the park
is covered by white savanna grasses,
which is called in Amharic ‘Nech Sar,
the park’s name.
It is one ofEthiopia’s national parks
with endemic and many other wild lives.
It is believed to be the sanctuary of
Swayne’s Hartebeest whose species are
endangered to be extinct. Plain Zebras,
flagship species of the park, Bush buck,
caracal, Dik dik, Lion, greater kudu and
over 90 mammals are habitants ofthe
park.
It has also aquatic animals such as
crocodiles, Hippopotamus, and terrestrial
birds like pelican, Nech-Sar night jar
which is endemic to Ethiopia, yellow-
billed stork, Marabou stork, Black headed
weaver, flamingos and more than 350
species ofbirds.
In a broadest say, it is the place where
every day to day activities ofanimal
feeding, resting, breeding, reproduction
etc could be observed. Among this the
‘Azo gebeya’ meaning ‘Crocodile market’
is the most impressive one to watch
hundreds of crocodiles enjoying the rising
sun on the shore of Lake Chamo. Some
ofthem look like as they are died with
no movement.
This is Nech Sar National Park, which
is found in Southern Nations, Nationalities
and Peoples State in Gamo Gofa Zone,
nearest to Arba Minch City, the capital
Published every Tuesday in cooperation with the
Federal Ministry of Education
BDU gender directorate’s best experience
BY ALAZAR SHIFERAW
Many people think that gender issues
are the concern of women only. But,
without full participation ofmales, gender
based violence and other burdens women
are facing cannot be solved. And this in
turn retards country’s economic
development.
Gender affairs have considerable place
in socioeconomic development; that is why
government has established gender affair
directorates that intend to narrow gaps
observed and boost females accesses to
education, top management positions,
ensure women’s socio-economic benefits
among others.
Yet, various national and globally
adopted policies and strategies as well as
legal frameworks and directives have been
designed and can bring significant changes.
Ministerial and sector offices have
encompassed and implemented gender
affairs and women capacity building under
their strategic plans but a lot still remains
undone. The challenges are observed in
higher education institutions.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) under
its higher education institutions has
established gender affairs as directorate
level. Since its establishment, the
directorates in various universities have
been engaged in capacity building so as to
bring females to top management position
ofthe Zone.
According to the information ofthe
park’s administration, Nech Sar National
Park is the second park in attracting both
foreign and local tourists and it is also
the first by being visited by large number
of local tourists. It shares 55 and 32 KM2
ofthe total areas ofAbaya and Chamo
lakes respectively. These lakes are highly
known for their fish resources that are
supplied to the national market.
In his exclusive interview with The
Ethiopian Herald, Shimelis Zenebe,
Administrator of Nech Sar National Park,
said, “Nech Sar National Park is serving
the country by being source oftourism
trade income, fish supply, environmental
protection and many other.” As ofhim,
the park is visited by nearly 40,000 local
and foreign tourists annually. However,
this number is increasing from time to
time.
Nech Sar National Park has spectacular
Gender focused platform discussion
and ruling outing backward perspectives
ways forward to cope up females with their
parts. Every year, MoE evaluates
universities’ gender affairs office
performance categorizing them by
generations.
In a recent Ministry’s various departm
ents field visit held from 20 April - 7
May, 2018 to one offirst generation
univer sities, Bahir Dar University (BDU),
to observe gender affairs activity status
based on designed standards, measures
undertaken to pulling down malpractices
in first generation universities. The crew
has acknowledged and given eye witness
that BDU gender directorate has
natural view with very suitable landscape
for visitors and it is also not expensive
to build vital infrastructures inside and
around the park. Since it doesn’t have
significant infrastructure yet, we need
capable investors to invest on the area,
Shimels said.
There are standardized international
hotels and resorts around Nech Sar
National Park; these hotels are also
providing tour services. Especially on
the western side of the park, visitors can
get best lodges and hotels with panoramic
view of their installation of the top
boundaries ofthe park.
Gamo Gofa Zone Culture and Tourism
Bureau Communication Director Kambo
Dero said, “These hotels and resorts,
even though they are highly satisfying
our guests and tourists yet, are not
adequate in number when compared with
ever increasing number of tourists.
Therefore, we are looking for more
performed and registered remarkable
achievements in 2017-2018 academic years.
Gender Affairs Director at BDU Dr.
Almaz Gizaw said that the university has
provided physical fitness training for
students and daycare services for lecturers
and university communities. As the
university has given special focused
provisions, it has registered better
achievements among other first generation
universities in this fiscal year. It has become
a model and exemplary. As a result,
nowadays the university is sharing its best
experience to fellow universities.
The university has been engaged in
physical fitness training to solve problems
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018
investment in the area and we are well
coming, motivating and supporting
investors in the sector.”
Shimels stressed on some critical
problems need to be solved in order to
maintain the continuity ofthe park and
other home works should be done.
According to Shimelis, currently
among other things, the presence of the
people in the boundary ofthe park is
endangering wild lives that live in the
park. Particularly, in the north eastern
parts ofthe park, there are about 1,200
households living in the boundary of the
park. They are destroying forests in order
to get clear land for farming and housing
purpose. They are also hunting wild
animals for their meet, skin and traditional
medication preparation. As of Shimels,
even though several efforts have been
carried out so far, due to the poor
attention given by the two neighboring
states, SNNP and Oromia administrations,
that can expose female student to physical,
social, economical, physiological among
other barriers. Having commenced by
24 females students in 2016-2017, currently
over 190 female students are attending the
physical fitness training. Apart from
physical training, they attend various
taekwondo levels. The training is not only
preventing female students from sexual
harassment and violation but also it has
helped them to develop selfconfidence
among others. But, ifsuch practices are
expanded to other universities, it will have
a huge positive impact in easing female
students’ similar encounters, she said.
Daycare Head Aden Amsalu said that
the park is being exposed to such
problems more extremely since 2008.
On the western parts ofthe park,
particularly from the side ofArba Minch
city illegal fishing on Lake Abaya and
the high demand for wood from parks
forest is threatening the park.
Lack of infrastructure in the park for
visitors is another problem Shimels
mentioned. As the parks’ main plain
lacked road for cars, it is difficult for
some visitors with light field car.
Currently, 95 percent of the park’s
visitation was conducted on the boat
travel, he stressed.
“Ifthose problems are solved, we
can increase the number of tourists by
far from its current status. We will get
more safety for our wild lives, and we
can reinstate the diminishing production
and species of fish’s and wild lives
threatened,” he added.
BDU has facilitated conditions for the
realization of most needed service
provisions. It has hugely contributed for
female lecturers, management members
and other workers. They can perform their
respective duties effectively and use their
time and serve the university as well.
Female lecturers can carry out teaching-
learning, research conduct and studies with
full attention.
Daycare provisions enable female
lecturers and other workers develop a
sense of ownership. The daycare has
benefited mothers but it also has benefited
the university as well.
Physical education lecturer and fitness
trainer Wondimagn Shoangizawo also said
that physical fitness training for female
students, apart from helping them to develop
sense self-defending, has huge importance
like to become healthy.
Students Tsion Ishetu and Itaferehu
Sintayou said that the training has developed
their self-confidence and can help them to
be ready preventing from sexual harassment.
Stating from Peda Compas in 2016-
2017, currently the university has opened
the 2nd branch at Polytechnic compass. It
shared its best experiences to 17 govern
mental and nongovernmental organizations.
Besides it has planned to expand physical
fitness training and daycare centers to
condominium female lectures and five
remaining compasses.