Central Ethiopia Environment and Forest Research Centre (CE-EFRC)
The central Ethiopia Environment and Forest Research Centre (CEE-FRC)
is the principal research centre of the Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute (EEFRI). The centre was established in 1975 as Forestry Research Centre (FRC) under the then State Forest Agency. In 1975, the UNDP/FAO assisted the start-up of the present FRC and initiated small part of the research program promoted earlier by the then state forestry Development Agency (SFDA). From 1979 to 1982, i.e. in a second phase of UNDP/FAO, emphasis was given mainly to the seed centre at FRC and to multi-location species trials. The limited research activities of the FRC focused on establishment of species and provenance trial, seed physiology, development of nursery techniques, trials on tree spacing, planting techniques, etc. and development of an appropriate silvicultural system. At the termination of this FAO support, IDRC (Canada) began supporting the field research program of FRC focusing on agro-forestry research for the first time.
Realizing the need to undertake systematic and coordinated research in the country the Federal Government of Ethiopia recognized the national agricultural research system and established the then Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization (EARO) in June 1997 by proclamation (Federal Negarit Gazeta, 1997). Because of this Forestry Research Centre (FRC) were transferred to EARO by the proclamation. This was the epoch in which organized forestry research began with a relatively good setup. With the establishment of the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MEF) in 2014 Forestry Research Centre was moved to the Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute established by Regulation No. 327/2014 by the Council of Ministers. The then FRC got its name CEE-FRC since July 2015.
The Center is undertaking environment and forest related research activities, along with crosscutting disciplinary research on forest protection, tree seed technology and socio-economics. CE-EFRC is stationed in Addis Ababa with a mandate area that work most specifically in central Ethiopia but includes the whole of Welega and some part of Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State. CEE-FRC operates on a number of research stations and 2 research sub-centres located at Debrebirhan and Debrezeit across its mandate area.
Currently CEE-FRC has 60 researchers, 12 technical staffs and 90 supporting staff. Most of the staffs are posted in Addis Ababa. The Centre consists of the tree seed laboratory, forest pathology laboratory, tree nursery, green houses and an arboretum. CEE-FRC plays a leading role in the collection and distribution of quality forest seeds in the country, and provides training on tree seed source development and management, the collection, processing and testing of forest seeds. CEE-FRC is working on research and development oriented research projects with national and international organizations.
Currently CEE-FRC is implementing over 70 mega research projects in Forestry and Environment that in encompass a range of activities through eight research processes: plantation and agro forestry, Forest resources utilization, Ecosystem management, Forest protection, Environmental pollution and management, Climate change, and socio-economics, gender and extension. CEE-FRC also runs a service program mainly on distribution of quality forest seeds on average 8000 kgs/year from more than 30 indigenous and exotic tree/shrub species.
Mehari Alebachew (Ph.D)
Director, Central Ethiopia Environment and Forest Research Centre
- Office fixed line: +251 116 45 65 77
- Mobile phone: +251 911 356756
- Personal e-mail: meharia@eefri.gov.et /or/ meharialebachew25@gmail.com
Contact us
- P.o.box: 30708 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- E-mail: ceefrc@eefri.gov.et
- Office fixed line: +251 114 04 44 44
- Fax: +251 116 46 03 45