Black Crowned crane. © Dessalegn Obsi Gemeda.

Black Crowned cranes is experienced a high population declines and disappearing in some countries due to habitat loss (Harris and Mirande, 2013). We live in global wave of biodiversity loss and declines in local abundance of species. People are destroying the world ecosystem for basic needs. Because of rapid population growth, people are cutting trees, clearing forests, and draining wetlands, driving species to loss and threats. The IUCN classified the Black Crowned cranes as Lower Risk (LR) from 1988 to 2000, Near Threatened (NT) from 2004 to 2008, and Vulnerable (VU) from 2010 onwards. The result of the previous RSG project indicates that wetland degradation and public knowledge gap on nature conservation are the major problems which threat Black Crowned cranes. Species that are already threatened are in more urgent need of protection than species that are still doing well. Black Crowned cranes are extensively threatened than ever before because of wetland degradation. Thus, this project is designed to strengthen public awareness creation towards Black Crowned cranes and its habitat conservation in Jimma zone.

This project will work on public understanding towards the conservation of the Black Crowned crane and to minimize the vulnerability of the species through changing the behaviours of the communities. Various capacity building will be conducted to change the attitudes of the public on species and associated habitat conservation. Moreover, the public education and awareness creations will bring strong impacts on wetland restoration and conservation in the area which will contributes for the conservation of Black Crowned crane and other biodiversity in the area.