Urban forest management in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A policy policy Arrangement Approach

Abstract

Recently in Ethiopia, forest decline has been observed in every part of the country and identified as an important problem. However, studies on policy approaches are scarce, and thus policy change analysis is imperative for understanding urban forest management. This study aims at analyzing Ethiopian forest policies using a Policy Arrangement Approach (PAA) with four dimensions: discourse, actors, power and resources, and rules of the game. Policy changes during three regimes (Imperial, 1936–1974; Derg, 1974–1991; and the present government, 1991 to present) are analyzed. A qualitative research design was employed to obtain and analyze data. Our analysis has revealed that policy changes from government to governance with the government. This major turn reflects a fundamental shift in the dominant discourse about the management of forests. It is found that PAA is a useful analytical tool to understand and explain policy changes. Insights from this analysis can contribute to the design of an integrated urban forest policy and critically reflect the challenges and interventions needed to positively influence forest management.