2012

I was born in a poor farmer’s family in a remote Ethiopian village without road and school infrastructure. At the age of 6, I had to leave my family in order to attend school in a nearby town. Despite these challenging early years, I continued my studies, eventually obtaining a diploma in animal health (Addis Ababa University), a BA in biology (Alemaya University) and an MSc in tropical land resources management (Mekelle University). I have served for the last decades as an expert in different government organizations working on natural resources conservation and development in Ethiopia.

My interests are in the conservation of endangered small and large carnivores in the Afro-alpine habitats of Ethiopia, and especially in ways of addressing the socioeconomic aspects of human-carnivore conflict.

After completing the diploma course, I expect to have acquired a higher level of transferable technical and practical skill and interactive problem solving tools that will facilitate my effectiveness as a wildlife conservationist back home.

Update September 2019

Girma graduated his PhD from Leiden University and is now working as the Amhara Co-ordinator in North Ethiopia for WildCRU’s own Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme.

Diploma Projects

• Human-Ethiopian wolf conflict in fragmented Afro-alpine ranges of Ethiopia

• Impacts of grazing management upon Afro-alpine vegetation and prey availability for Ethiopian wolves