Welcome to the Center of Diversity, Ethiopia!
Background Information on our Institute
At the beginning of the 1970s, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) strongly recommended the formation of a network of plant genetic resources centers (or gene banks as they are frequently called) around the world. Ethiopia was given highest priority because of its tremendous plant diversity and endemism. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany expressed interest in assisting Ethiopia.
Accordingly, a Plant Genetic Resources Center, Ethiopia (PGRC/E) was initially established in May 1976 through a bilateral technical cooperation agreement between the Governments of Ethiopia and Germany. In 1998, the Institute of Biodiversity Conservation and Research (IBCR) replaced the former PGRC/E broadening its mandate and duties. A new key component, the research mandate, was a step forward in the progress of the Institute. Another change, basically a change of the name IBCR to IBC, occurred in 2004/5 and the Research component was removed from its mandate though conservation based research is still allowed.
General Objectives
The overall objective of the Institute is to undertake conservation and promote the development and sustainable utilization of the country’s biological resources.
Mandates and Duties
Ethiopia has set clear national policy directives on conservation of biological resources. In the past, conservation efforts focused on plant genetic resources and priority was given to field crops. Since 1998, the Institute was given a wider mandate of conservation and sustainable utilization of all forms of biological resources including plants, animals and microbial genetic resources. Ecosystem management is also recognized as one of the areas to be given top priority. As to the importance of biodiversity and our dependence on biological resources, biodiversity conservation efforts give emphasis to local and national needs and values. The Institute, thus, has power and duties related to the conservation and promoting the sustainable utilization of biodiversity. This includes maintaining and developing international relations with bilateral and multilateral bodies having the potential to providing technical assistance . The Institute, on the basis of national legislation, has the responsibility and duty to implement international conventions, agreements and obligations on biodiversity to which Ethiopia is a party.
Organization
The Institute has overall ten technical Departments: five departments for plant genetic resources conservation: Forest and Aquatic Plants, Medicinal Plants, Horticultural Plants, Field crops, and Pasture and Forage plant genetic resources Departments; and five other departments: Animal Genetic Resources, Microbial Genetic Resources, Ecosystem Conservation, Biotechnology and Bio-safety, and Ethno biology departments. The Institute has also four Services.
IBC as Focal Point of CBD
Globally, the value of biodiversity as a key component of the environment was recognized during the build-up to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. During this conference, Ethiopia endorsed and signed the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Since then, the Environmental Protection Authority took the lead as a focal point of CBD until 2005 and handed over to IBC, same year, after a thorough revision of the mandates and duties of the two institutions.
Collection and Conservation
The gene bank is one of the leading gene banks in Africa and has accomplished a tremendous work in exploration, collection, and conservation of plant genetic resources. Currently, the gene bank holds about 62, 000 accessions of more than 300 plant species obtained through collection, repatriation and donation…read more.
Future Direction
Based on the priority objectives, IBC will continue to develop scientific strategies for all the relevant biological resources conservation and sustainable utilization. International standards will be adopted and special efforts will be made to tackle the enormous qualitative and quantitative dimensions of conservation problems unique to Ethiopia. In addition to seed storage, the Institute will make a major effort to increase in situ conservation in relevant ecosystems. A major component of these plans will be the conservation of species where many of the wild and weedy relatives of cultivated crops species will exist. On site conservation of indigenous and local animal species, both domestic and wild, will be enhanced. New and appropriate conservation techniques and methodologies will be adopted for aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. The rich indigenous knowledge associated with biodiversity will be studied and used for biodiversity conservation and promoting sustainable utilization
Relevant Links
