OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES ON CONSERVATION OF AMBATARA PROTECTED AREA, SEDE MUJA DISTRICT, ETHIOPIA

Protected areas (PAs) are designated areas that are protected because of their environmental, cultural, or other worth. It plays a vital role in biodiversity conservation. Ethiopia has more many PAs, which cover 17.1% of the nation, protected to gain benefits for livelihoods at the local, regional and country level but the value obtained from the protected areas is very low. An effective conservation of management practice for protected areas is one of the selected approach to make the harmony relationship between PAs and the local community in a given ecosystem. However, its practical implementation in protected areas through community method is the major challenge in Ethiopia. This study described the main opportunities and challenges of Ambatara protected Area (APA), Sede Muja District, Ethiopia. Data were collected and organized by the household survey, key informant interview, field observation and focused group discussion (FGD) methods using both primary and secondary data sources in the form of qualitative, quantitative, or both from July 2019 to September 2019. The results were explained the socioeconomic, opportunities and challenges. The establishment of community-based PA management in Ethiopia, proclamation and regulations of wildlife managements of Ethiopia, and natural recovery ability of the area were its potential opportunities whereas, local community -wildlife conflict, conflicting between the APA management & local community, inadequate coordination among stakeholders, and challenges & threats of APA were the main challenges of APA conservation. KEYWORDS: APA, opportunities and challenges, local community, PA