process, 
technical 
s. 
  
es, which 
id slightly 
% of the 
LANDSAT/TM satellite 
images from 1986 to 1990 
show that Ethiopia’s forest 
cover had since then been 
reduced to 3.93 96, or 45,055 
sqkm (Ministry of Water 
Resources, 1997). The figures 
refer to an annual deforestation 
rate of 163.600 ha. This means 
that up to 1999, the size of 
Ethiopia's natural high forests 
has been reduced to 2.36 94, 
respectively 27,059  sqkm. 
Today, larger forest areas can 
only be found in very remote 
and inaccessible areas of S and 
SW Ethiopia. 
A detailed analysis of the 
density classes shows that 
between 1973 and 1990, the 
area coverage of closed forest 
stands had been reduced from 
30,243 sqkm (2.64 96 of the 
country's area) to 2,346 sqkm 
  
Country Coverage [95] 
7.0 
6.0 4 
5.0 - 
4.0 
3.0 
2.0 
1.0 
0.0 
   
Reusing, Matthias 
  
oi 
1973 to 1976 1986 to 1990 today 
Time 
  
  
Figure 2. Deforestation rates in Ethiopia 
(0.2 % of the country’s area). The ongoing exploitation could be documented by the fact that within the same time span, 
the share of severely degraded high forest increased from 0.87 % to 3.08 %. 
The following figure shows the extent and the area dynamics of the forest degradation by human impact in Ethiopia 
between 1973 and 1990. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
34° 
    
  
  
  
  
    
    
Human Impact on Forests in 
Ethiopia from 1973 to 1990 
  
  
  
  
BEN No Change 
Low Impact 
Moderate Impact 
EE High Impact 
  
[1 Research Area SW Ethiopia 
  
9 Matthias Reusing (1999) 
  
200 «lomerers 
  
Ar River 
[ | Lake 
OO COUNTRY CAPITAL 
[CT] REGION (No) 
  
  
er giz) German Technical Cooperation 
  
  
  
  
  
Figure. 3. Forest degradation in Ethiopia between 1973 and 1990 
  
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B7. Amsterdam 2000. 1255