Geoheritage conservation in Ethiopia: the case of the Simien Mountains

Asrat Asfawossen, Demissie Metasebia and Mogessie Aberra
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Asrat Asfawossen: Department of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Demissie Metasebia: Geo-Information and Landscape Gardening, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Mogessie Aberra: Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Graz, A-8010 Graz, Austria

Quaestiones Geographicae, 2012, vol. 31, issue 1, 7-23

Abstract: Ethiopia constitutes one of the most significant environmental and cultural reserves on Earth. Ethiopia's natural and cultural tourist attractions are mostly associated with geological features: the active Ethiopian and Afar rifts as well as the Simien and Bale massifs are few examples. Ethiopia's cultural history, religious manifestations and civilization, like the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and the stelae of Axum, are also imprinted in rock. Geomorphological and geological features, notably the isolation of the north-western highlands from the external world by the harsh Afar depression close to the sea, determined the route of Ethiopian history. Though tourism has been identified as a major sustainable development sector, systematic geoheritage evaluation and conservation strategies are lacking in the country. I this paper the Simien Mountains are presented as major geoheritages which should be prioritized for geoconservation in order to develop sustainable tourism (geotourism) in the area.

Keywords: geoheritage; geotourism; geoconservation; sustainable development; Simien Mountains; Ethiopia; geoheritage; geotourism; geoconservation; sustainable development; Simien Mountains; Ethiopia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:quageo:v:31:y:2012:i:1:p:7-23:n:1

DOI: 10.2478/v10117-012-0001-0

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