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With regard to geographic focus, the Centre has chosen the following areas for its initial interventions, based on the urgency of the environmental situation in the area: The cross border Greater Boma Nature Conservation Area and the wetlands in the central part of the Nile (the Sudd, Machar and Bahr el Ghazal wetlands)
These areas in South Sudan and South Ethiopia still have potential to preserve a few sizeable ecosystems and wildlife populations of international significance such as the large herds of white eared cobs, mainly in South Sudan.
Recently, Sudan has signed the Ramsar Convention recently and the Sudd wetlands were chosen as the first Ramsar site. These wetlands also have potential in terms of sustainable value chain development because of the possibilities for developing the fisheries sector. However, the expansion of oil exploitation activities currently bring substantial amounts of money to Sudan, but this will has caused and will continue to cause severe environmental problems; especially when oil exploration is allowed in areas with vulnerable ecosystems like the Sudd wetlands
Parts of the highlands and lowlands in the Nile Basin in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan (Tekezze – Settit – Mareb – Atbara; Blue Nile and Baro – Akobo – Sobat)
In the Baro-Akobo-Sobat sub-basin of the Nile in Southern Ethiopia and Southern Sudan and in Western Ethiopia and Northern Kenya competing claims on water and land are often underlying causes of (partially cross border) clashes between various groups.
In the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia population growth remains high, while economic Diversification remains limited. Livestock densities are very high and parts of the area are intensively cultivated. Yet indigenous agricultural productivity per hectare, per cubic metre of water, per livestock unit, per crop unit and per person remains extremely low. Erosion due to deforestation, overgrazing and rising temperatures is a problem and water is over-exploited for irrigation. Lake Abijata is shrinking rapidly and also other lake levels are falling.
As in the Ethiopian Rift Valley, also in the Kenyan Rift Valley problems occur due to inadequate water management e.g. around Lake Naivasha. Over the past decade many flower farms have been established around the lake, some of which are causing pollution of the lakes and groundwater as well as health problems for the population in the area.
In Djibouti, as in the rest of the Horn, the situation with regard to deforestation is also severe, leading to heavy destruction of the unique and endangered Day Forest, which is also the habitat of the Djibouti Francolin, the national bird of this country. Another environmental problem that Djibouti needs to cope with is the desertification processes. Rainfall is decreasing and the resulting desertification process forms an extra burden on the many pastoralist communities.
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