In Ethiopia, environmental conflicts - struggles over natural or environmental resources - have frequently been caused by competing claims over land, pasture, forests and water, owing to both the intrinsic and the symbolic values of these commodities. Thus the 'environment', far from being a neutral terrain, is subject to competing economic, cultural and religious forces. This study seeks to understand the notion of the environment in relation to socio-economic arguments, and discussions about culture and identity, so as to open up an area of research that has not received as much attention as it deserves.