scholarly journals Ecosystem service preferences across multilevel stakeholders in co-managed forests: Case of Aberdare protected forest ecosystem in Kenya

One Ecosystem ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisca Kilonzi ◽  
Takahiro Ota
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Climate Regulation ◽  
Rank Matrix ◽  
Flood Regulation ◽  
Carbon Intake

A better understanding of Ecosystem Services (ES) contributes to sustainable use while conserving the ecosystems mainly in resource-rich developing regions. This paper explores multilevel stakeholder perceptions on the most important ES provided by Aberdare Forest Ecosystem (AFE). The importance rank matrix model was employed to establish the ES preferences of 15 selected key organisations involved in AFE co-management. A two-way ANOVA inferential analysis was used to compare the differences in ES type importance. The results revealed statistically significant differences between provisioning, regulating and cultural ES. Regulating ES were identified as the most important compared to provisioning and cultural ES; a gradual stakeholder preference shift from forest tangible goods. Water, wildlife habitat, flood regulation, carbon intake and climate regulation were identified as the most important ES by all the stakeholders. Therefore, it is important to understand the gradual changes in ES preferences by various stakeholders involved in the co-management of natural resources. This knowledge could be important to the decision-makers in sustainable co-management planning for natural resources and to enhance sustainable utiliation of ES.

scholarly journals Farmers’ and Herders’ Perceptions on Rangeland Management in Two Agroecological Zones of Benin

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 425
Author(s):  
Rodrigue Vivien Cao Diogo ◽  
Luc Hippolyte Dossa ◽  
Sèyi Fridaïus Ulrich Vanvanhossou ◽  
Badirou Dine Abdoulaye ◽  
Kossi Hélliot Dosseh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Rangeland Management ◽  
Mineral Fertilization ◽  
The North ◽  
Unused Land ◽  
Agroecological Zones ◽  
Sound Management

The sustainable use of rangelands in pastoral areas requires the inclusion of all stakeholders to develop sound management strategies. However, the role of these actors in the sustainable management of natural resources is still poorly understood. The present study aims to (i) assess the perception of farmers and herders of the risks and opportunities of transhumance on rangeland resource use and management, and to (ii) generate useful knowledge for the design and implementation of policies that favor the coexistence of these actors and reduce competition over rangeland resources use in Benin. To this end, interviews were conducted with 240 crop farmers and herders using a semi-structured questionnaire in two contrasting agroecological zones in the northern (Kandi) and the southern (Kétou) part of the country. Among the respondents, 64% of farmers in the North were agro-pastoralists (owning 10.6 ha of land and 10.7 cattle) and 36% were herders (keeping 45.8 cattle and cultivating about 3.7 ha of land). They perceived that communal rangelands were entirely degraded. In the South, 36% of respondents were agro-pastoralists (with 0.3 cattle and farming 4 ha of land) and 64% cattle herders (raising 45.3 cattle and farming 0.9 ha of land only). Of the herders, 50% kept cattle for more than 20 years, while agro-pastoralists had no previous experience in cattle herding. Cultivation practices among crop farmers, such as high use of mineral fertilization (23.8%) and bush fires for land clearing (22.5%), were reported in Kandi (North) and Kétou (South) as factors that might contribute to land degradation. However, these farmers perceived transhumance as a threat to the sustainable use of natural resources. In contrast, herders perceived transhumance as an opportunity to valorize unused land and increase the availability of manure to cropland. The prevalent negative attitude of crop farmers regarding transhumant herders increases the vulnerability of cattle herding in both regions. There is an urgent need of raising awareness concerning the mutual benefits provided by the coexistence of crop farmers with herders to promote participative rangeland management strategies. This may contribute towards coping with the current challenges of food insecurity and increasing climate variability as well as to reducing recurrent conflicts in the region.

scholarly journals GROUNDWATER VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT OF SYLHET SADAR USING GIS

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Ashikur Rahman ◽  
Md. Jahir Alam
Keyword(s):  
Water Depth ◽  
Vulnerability Assessment ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Groundwater Vulnerability ◽  
Hazard Map ◽  
Index Method ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Water Index ◽  
Index Approach ◽  
Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment

Groundwater has been treated as a vital water supply because of its comparatively low vulnerability to pollution compared to surface water. Due to the health and economic impacts of groundwater contamination, steps to measure groundwater vulnerability are necessary for sustainable groundwater protection and management planning. In this study, an attempt has been made to assess groundwater vulnerability using the overlay index method and to prepare a groundwater vulnerability map using Geographic Information System (GIS) of Sylhet Sadar, a northeastern region of Bangladesh. Also, for the water depth-wise vulnerability assessment, the Water index was generated to observe the effect on chemical concentration for the depth of water. By assigning weight to each pollutant map in the overlay index approach, a combined hazard map was successfully created. The combined hazard map shows a total of 16.04%, 41.36%, and 42.59% of the studied area located in a less, moderate, and severely vulnerable zone, respectively. The combined effect of the chemical concentrations of water gradually decreases with the increase in water depth. Therefore, the developed map can be used as a tool for the management to take initiatives for sustainable use of groundwater.

scholarly journals Agriculture at a Crossroads: Ensuring Conservation and Income Support in the Farm Bill

2002 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Amy Fredregill
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Policy Analysis ◽  
Harmful Effect ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Income Support ◽  
Policy Options ◽  
Farm Bill ◽  
Policy Alternatives

While most farmers take steps to enhance natural resources, times of low prices and high costs may create difficulties for farmers who wish to spend resources on agriculture conservation. Consequently, farming can have a harmful effect on natural resources. Because many farmers rely on income support payments, and most income programs do not require farmers to utilize environmental conservation practices, environmental degradation continues. To ensure adequate protection of water quality, soil quality and wildlife habitat, and to provide income support for farms of all sizes, politically feasible legislation is needed to link income payments with conservation practices. This article follows the outline of atraditional policy analysis to examine four policy options for the farm bill the Conservation Security Program (CSP), Flex Fallow, the Conservation Reserve Program, and conservation easements. The options range from conservative to liberal, with differing environmental and income impacts. Policy options for achieving these goals were judged using the following criteria: effectiveness in achieving conservation goals,' effectiveness in supporting farmer income,' political feasibility,' and strength of the linkage between conservation practices and income payments. Based on this analysis, CSP is the best option for the farm bill, because it is a compromise approach to achieving the goals of this analysis. This evaluation is presented as a policy analysis in order to provide a systematic technique for identifying solutions to current farm policy problems. The elements of a policy analysis traditionally include formulating a problem, identifying policy alternatives, forecasting the future, modeling the impacts of alternatives, and comparing and ranking the policy alternatives.

scholarly journals From the Orchard to the Full Bottle: One of the Geostories of the Nature & Geopark Styrian Eisenwurzen

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-155
Author(s):  
Oliver Gulas ◽  
Eva Maria Vorwagner ◽  
Martina Pásková
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Life Style ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Local People ◽  
Participatory Management ◽  
Landscape Conservation ◽  
Local Production

Abstract A geopark mission does not consists just of presenting and interpreting the geological phenomena and processes, but it also includes conservation and sustainable use of the natural resources as well as understanding and supporting the local people and their culture. For sure, the geology of the area determinates the local flora and fauna as well as the local life style. On different examples, this case study presents how the Nature and Geopark Styrian Eisenwurzen is involving local people to protect the local geoheritage and natural resources as well as to raise its visibility and touristic attraction. It shows that the traditional local production can contribute both to the landscape conservation and geoheritage interpretation, and that the application of participatory management and ABC interpretive concept can affect all that in a synergic way.

An Assessment of Infrastructural Facilities in the Dryland Areas of West Bengal

2017 ◽  
pp. 234-268
Author(s):  
Nilendu Chatterjee
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Good Position ◽  
Special Significance ◽  
The People

The present chapter focuses on the importance of infrastructure in the dryland areas of West Bengal, India, covering four districts, namely, Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapore and Birbhum. The importance and necessity of having good infrastructure is a well-known phenomenon but it carries a special significance for the drylands, where good infrastructure can open various avenues of earning, communication, better life standard as well as management and nourishment of all types of natural resources in these areas. Sustainable use of natural resources occur utmost importance because it is the only source of livelihood for the people of these areas. Through this study, we have tried to make an assessment of the existing infrastructure scenarios in these four districts for the period 2003-04 to 2012-13. Doing the SWOT analysis amongst the districts, the results show that West Midnapur and Bankura are in a better position than Purulia and Birbhum, although, Birbhum is in a good position in few indicators.

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