Communication – the key to success

Regional, national and international communication and public relations

Continuous public relations activities will accompany the project to publicise it both internationally and nationally and raise awareness for the establishment of the BR on the national, regional, and local level. The project’s public relations activities include:

• The development and printing a project flyer in English and Amharic,


• The creation of a film for community awareness at the proposed Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve,


• The creation of a web presence for the project within the biosphere website,


• The holding of regular project workshops in the project region, including press briefings. These ensure that important decision-makers, stakeholders, and representatives of the local communities are informed about the project components and participate in the process.

To present the project on an international level and to ensure knowledge transfer, it is essential to participate in conferences, workshops, and technical events. Ethiopian experts and stakeholders as well as international experts will be invited to other biosphere reserves to share experience and knowledge. Besides maintaining contacts with important decision-makers, it is also planned to promote cooperation with universities and other research institutions. This measure is in accordance with the “UNESCO Man and the Biosphere” strategy, which specifies that biosphere reserves are model regions. In particular, the project will promote academic exchange between Ethiopia and Germany on the topics of sustainable resource use and biodiversity, as well as applied studies of the Lake Tana region.