ADDIS ABABA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia has called for additional investment and international collaboration to tackle increasing pressures on global ecosystems and biodiversity, according to the state-run Ethiopian News Agency.
The call came as the East African country marked World Wildlife Day on Monday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, hosting a variety of events including a tour at the Gullele Botanic Garden, home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, with many endemic species.
The day was marked under the theme "Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet," which highlighted the critical connection between the ecosystem and the well-being of world communities.
Speaking at the event, Kumara Wakjira, director general of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, said Ethiopia has made notable progress in preserving its wildlife resources and aims to take a leading role in global wildlife conservation.
Wakjira said additional investment is necessary to tackle the increasing pressures on the world's ecosystems and biodiversity to maintain the well-being of both wildlife and the world community.
He also pointed out that securing adequate financing remains one of the main challenges in wildlife conservation and called for sustainable global partnerships to address the financing gap.
Ethiopian State Minister of Tourism Endegena Abebe, in his remarks, said that wildlife conservation is inseparable from economic development and cultural diversity. "It is our duty to safeguard these treasures, not just for their intrinsic value but for the countless opportunities they offer for sustainable development," he said.
World Wildlife Day, which is observed annually on March 3, was established by the United Nations in 2013 to raise awareness and celebrate the contributions of wild animals and plant species to human survival. ■
