Botanical Gardens in Ethiopia: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Prospects

Botanical gardens play a crucial role in ex-situ plant conservation, research, and public education by serving as living repositories for native, endemic, and threatened species. In Ethiopia, where plant biodiversity is under increasing threat from deforestation, climate change, and land-use pressures, botanical gardens have the potential to support biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and scientific research. However, despite their importance, Ethiopia’s botanical gardens remain underutilized due to financial constraints, infrastructural limitations, policy gaps, and low public engagement. This study evaluates the current status, challenges, and future prospects of Ethiopia’s botanical gardens, with a focus on Gullele Botanical Garden (GBG), Dilla University Botanical and Ecotourism Garden (DUBEG), and Shashemene Botanical Garden (SBG). Data were collected through field surveys, structured questionnaires, and interviews with key stakeholders, complemented by secondary data sources. The findings indicate that these botanical gardens collectively house 1,355 plant species, representing 44 orders, 229 families, and 699 genera. Among these, 465 species are native, including 113 endemic and 352 indigenous species, while 172 are exotic species. GBG harbors the highest species diversity (928 species), followed by DUBEG (533 species) and SBG (221 species). The study further revealed that 10 species are threatened, including two critically endangered species (Commiphora monoica and Euphorbia burger), which were recorded exclusively at GBG. Despite their contributions to conservation, botanical gardens in Ethiopia face critical challenges, including land-use conflicts, limited research output, inadequate funding, weak policy integration, and threats from invasive species. DUBEG, for instance, recorded the highest number of invasive plant species (10), followed by GBG (6) and SBG (5). Moreover, research output remains limited, with most botanical gardens relying on university collaborations rather than independent institutional research programs. Opportunities for improvement include enhancing community engagement, increasing research collaborations, expanding government support, and integrating botanical gardens into national biodiversity strategies. Strengthening these areas will ensure that botanical gardens play a more impactful role in Ethiopia’s conservation landscape.Keywords: Botanical gardens, Ethiopia, biodiversity conservation, ex-situ conservation, plant diversity, threatened species, policy integration, ecological restoration