Hafte Tesfay is a researcher at Austria’s Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards, and Landscape, and an affiliate of BOKU University in Vienna. His work focuses on forest biodiversity, nature conservation, and the role of agroforestry in climate change mitigation and sustainable livelihoods. He leads the STRENGTH project, which empowers women in agroforestry research and education in Ethiopia’s Fogera district.
At the Tropentag 2024 he presented one of his research papers entitled ‘’Enhancing landscape connectivity through agroforests: The case of Gedeo’s agroforests in Ethiopia’’. The study highlights the contribution of agroforests in enhancing landscape connectivity, thus contributing to the integrity and sustainability of the agricultural production system. The multi-strata agroforestry systems in the Gedeo Zone conserve a high proportion of woody plant species by offering them ideal habitats. Gedeo agroforests enhance landscape connectivity by maintaining gene pools of species in fragmented landscapes, preventing habitat degradation and habitat loss, creating corridors and stepping stones for animal and plant species, and increasing microbial, avian, and faunal diversity. Besides biodiversity conservation, it also contributes to climate change mitigation by sequestering carbon in biomass and soil. Therefore, his study concluded that proper management of the agroforests is crucial for the sustainability of the agroforestry system. In addition to his presentation, he chaired the session entitled ‘’Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems’’.
Tesfay, who completed his PhD at BOKU in 2020, previously worked as a lecturer and soil conservation expert in Ethiopia. His doctoral research explored agroforestry’s impact on biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and community livelihoods. At Tropentag 2024, he also chaired a session on ecosystems and engaged in discussions on potential research collaborations, including with the European CIFOR-ICRAF director.
The conference, themed “Explore opportunities… for managing natural resources and a better life for all,” brought together global experts to address rural development and sustainability challenges.
