Role of Gada system in environmental management

1. Introduction
 Ethiopia has a strong cultural heritage and various indigenous communities based social
institutions or self-support systems that play a greater role in conflict resolutions,
communities’ well-being, stability and security. These indigenous institutions are very useful
for conflict management mechanisms as they allow communities to handle their problems in
their own way. The people of Oromo have an extensive and very rich culture and tradition
which have been accumulated for centuries and have been handed down from generation to
generation. The culture of the people is deeply rooted in the Gadaa system which is a
democratic political, economic and social system.
 The Gadaa system is a complex and holistic system that occupies the political, social and
economic aspects of the Oromo people’s lives and organizes them into groups that assume
different responsibilities.
 Gada is a traditional system of governance whose values, norms and beliefs are shared by all
members of the Oromo community and reinforced by societal participation and relevant
institutions. It is egalitarian and democratic system that governs socio-political, economic
and cultural life of Oromo community and other Cushitic peoples. Among nations that are
believed to have practiced the Gada system of governance the Sidama, the Konso and the
Gedeo are few. From chronological view of understanding, Gada refers to a period of eight
years during which a Gada class stays in power on its particular age grade of 40-48. In this
respect it is referring to sixth stage of Gada grade that all Gada classes pass through on their
forty years old. Gada is also defined as the combination of generational age system which
create Gada grade and age-set system which create hiriya.

 The practice and experience of the Oromo people as manifested in the Gadaa system is surely
very beneficial to the future generation. The interconnectedness and overlapping features of
Oromo cultural values particularly Gadaa system’s conflict resolving institution constituted
the unity of complex systems of knowledge. Though characterized as man-made outlook,
there is no easy separation between the sacred and the profane, matter and spirit, the
communal the individual, and components of the Oromo values. As far as each and every
system of knowledge is interdependent, the press of a single system of knowledge could

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 Role of Gada system in environmental management

affect the rest. Thus, there is a growing need to maintain the unity of Oromo’s all systems of
knowledge.
 The political life of the Oromo nation in the horn of Africa was founded on an egalitarian
political system commonly known as the Gadaa. The Gadaa system has five parties that
orderly succeeded each other every eight years in assuming political responsibilities
(Asmarom 2006). The party in power is headed by Abba Gadaa (the president). The Abba
Gadaa and his council changes with the party
 The Gadaa system is the constitution of the Oromo society through which the society
administered, defended their territory, maintained and developed their economy and it is the
self-sufficient system that influenced every aspect of Oromo society, from politics to religion
until recently
 In contemporary world environmental issue is of very essential for it relates with life‟s and
rights of all. The most media outlets, national and international governmental and non-
governmental organizations and scientists talking about warming globe, land degradation, air
pollution and in general fear and advice for environmental protection. Environmental
protection is related with environmental rights such as right to clean and healthy environment
which is also provided under FDRE Constitution.
 Article 44 of the FDRE Constitution stipulates the right to clean and healthy environment for
all persons. On the other hand Article 92 of the FDRE Constitution imposes responsibility on
government to ensure the right to clean and healthy environment.8 The responsibility of
government extends to designing development projects that shall not damage or destroy the
environment.9 Moreover, the FDRE Constitution imposed duty to protect environment not
only on government but also on citizen.
In simple terms we can say Gada is our system of governance. But Gada is still broader than the
word. For it includes not only political governance, but also economic, social, cultural, religious
and our all rounded life style. How we eat, how we speak, how we believe and to what we
believe and to sum up our total life style is from our Gada before the coming of the two main
religions ( Islam and Christian), and modern governmental system.

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The Gadaa General Assembly takes place once every eight years and it has been practiced since
since 1424. 

1. Hafaa mukaa hin muranuu, santi aadaa! (Do not cut age-old trees, that is the custom!)
2. Bayaa mukaa hin murani, santi aadaa! (Do not cut growing plants, that is the custom!)
3. Muka mul ́isaa hin muranuu, santi aadaa! (Do not cut magnificent trees, that is the
custom!)
4. Muka maqaa hin muranuu, santi aadaa! (Do not cut functionally-titled trees, that is the
custom!)
5. Muka Jilaa hin murani, santi aadaa! (Do not cut holly trees, that is the custom!)
6. Mootii mukaa hin muranuu, santi aadaa! (Do not cut king of trees, that is the custom!)
7. Sootii mukaa hin murani, santi aadaa! (Do not cut tallest trees, that is the custom!)
8. Mukeen hin qululuchanuu, santi aadaa! (Do not clear branches of a tree, that is the
custom!)
9. Raadaa fi jibichaan simuree naa hafiin gondooranii, santi aadaa! (While cutting a tree
saying “I cut 'you' with heifer and steer, remain!”, that is the custom!)
10. Namni ibidda qabatee bosona seenu bishaan qabatee deemaa, santi aadaa! (Anyone who
enters a forest with fire, he shall have also take water with himself, that is the custom!)

Forest protection under the Gada System Forests and other natural resources are highly
respected and protected under the umbrella of Gada system as its philosophy argues for
inseparability principle of environment and mother earth.
Sacred springs, Mountains, trees, groves, and forests are utmost ritualized and respected as
place of ritual ceremony.186 The indigenous Oromo religious practice protects forest than
hiring the guards to protect the same.
Under the Gada system, forest is a common property that everybody is responsible to protect
from acts such as deforestation.188 No one is allowed to cut any tree anywhere, even in
his/her own compound unless there is a reasonable and wise reason.

As such cutting trees is only allowed for fuel, when constructing a house or a fence.190 Using
trees for fuel in itself is limited to dead trees as can easily be understood from the common
sayings in the society; “osoo gogaan jiruu jiidhaa hin murin, osoo jallaan jiruu sirrii hin murin”

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 Role of Gada system in environmental management

(do not cut living trees where there are the dead ones; and do not cut the street trees where there
are bended trees).

The ownership of forest is under the whole community and all members of the community beer
responsibility for its protection.

Anyone who see cuttings of trees for unreasonable purposes can either push to stop the act or
report the act to luba when he/she could not stop the perpetrator.193 Forests are protected in
different ways under the Gada system such as teaching children not to cut trees as expressed in
the saying: “mucaan olguddatu muka ol guddatu hin muru”194, which means growing children
shall not cut growing trees.

Trees around spiritually protected area under the Gada system Some places are selectively given
respect and serve as spiritual area like irrechaa. Trees in those selected area for spiritual matters
are not allowed for cutting for any reason and even dead dry wood are protected.195 Trees
around banks of water bodies within three hundred meters are not allowed for cutting.196
Especially, gates of water bodies known as „melka‟, have significant spiritual meaning and
cutting any tree from there is completely forbidden.

Wild life protection under the Gada system In the study area of Jiillee-oromo, the researcher
has gathered conflicting ideas regarding protection of wild life under the Gada system. Some
informants stated that the Gada system has little to say regarding wild life protection where
as some others explained that the Gada protects every living thing including wildlife. For
instance an informant explained the Gada system norms on the protection of wild life as
follows: To the best of my knowledge there is nothing that the Gada system has left out. All
living things are respected and given protection under the Gada system. Surely hunting is
taken as braveness in the society but I don‟t believe it‟s authorized by the Gada system.
Rather I believe hunting is the result of decline of the Gada system and governance. For
instance when you kill cat you must discharge the system called guma, meaning a kind of
compensation for your criminal offence. This is to the minimum of all, and in case any
person intentionally or prudently killed any of wild life, the person is liable as per Gada
system.

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Conclusion
Now day among difficult problems the land planet confronted with is environmental problem.
By its nature environmental problem entails-trans boundary damage so that the causes of air
pollution in one country resulted also in nearby country. That is one reason for the environmental
matter internationally given special attention. Major international treaties and conventions
focused to environmental protection. Environmental matter cannot be seen isolated from human
rights for the right to life of every person; the bundle of rights, violated when environment
harmed or polluted. Additionally the right to clean and healthy environment by itself is positive
right that obligate government to protect environment. By the same manner FDRE constitution
also provided the right to clean and healthy environment for citizens. The constitution also
forbids the program of government for development not to damage the environment. Despite a
plethora of state laws, and international treaties that provides for environmental protection,
Ethiopia continues to face environmental challenges including water resources contamination,
deforestation, and wildlife emigration. This study attempted to compare and contrast government
rules on the protection of water resource, forestry, and wild life with the Gada system norms for
the same. The findings of the study show that the Gada system has robust environmental
protection norms especially in water resource and forest protection. Thus, the recognition and
enhancement of the Gada system norms on the protection of water resources and the forest can
reduce water pollution and other hazardous use of water resources, deforestation, and the
emigration of wild life and contribute to better environmental protection

Нe interaction is very friendly and depends on the mutual co-existence that consolidates
sustainability of the environment. Gada values and practices are very essential in creating
community commitment and participation. Нe study conducted in the Lebanon shows that the
participatory process where all stakeholders are involved in the policy and implementation
process, would allow community to take ownership of the sustainable development process [6].
Нis illustrates that current environment protection need to take into account indigenous social
values and practices. Environmental protections become more effective and sustainable if the
effort incorporate customary practices and empower local community.

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REFERENCES
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