News
 Ethiopian project wins Mountain Protection Award31.03.2014The first Mountain Protection Award, an initiative of International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA), sponsored by Western University of Azerbaijan, was given to a conservation project in the Ethiopian Northern Highlands on 17 March 2014. The Menz-Guassa Community Conservation Area (GCCA) became the first recipient of the pioneering award in sustainable ecotourism for its “impressively-crafted project that effectively brings together a wide range of diverse stakeholders to preserve and protect the outstanding natural and cultural resources of this mountainous region of Ethiopia,” said Linda McMillan, president of the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission. The Mountain Protection Award was established by the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission to promote the preservation and protection of mountain ecosystems and cultures by providing a platform for showcasing and recognizing initiatives for sustainable and responsible tourism. The GCCA conservation project was selected out of seven submissions for successfully integrating income generation with environmental sustainability while enabling indigenous communities to manage and benefit from the sustainable development. In order to protect rare fauna and address illegal grazing, the community-based association developed a conservation plan rooted in local tradition of grassland management. The management plan, led by nine community leaders, enabled the creation of tourist bungalows and guided trips whose income is invested in basic social services such as education and healthcare as well as in improving tourism infrastructure. "This UIAA Mountain Protection Award will be one of the important milestones in GCCA and the ongoing mountain protection in the area,” said Biniyam Admassu, Tourism Development Technical Advisor with the GCCA.
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