A New Conceptual Framework for Integrating Earth Observation in Large-scale Wetland Management in East Africa

Wetlands are abundant across the African continent and provide a range of ecosystem services on different scales but are threatened by overuse and degradation. It is essential that national governments enable and ensure the sustainable use of wetland resources to maintain these services in the long run. As informed management decisions require reliable, up-to-date, and large coverage spatial data, we propose a modular Earth observation-based framework for the geo-localisation and characterization of wetlands in East Africa. In this study, we identify four major challenges in spatial data supported wetland management and present a framework to address them. We then apply the framework comprising Wetland Delineation, Surface Water Occurrence, Land Use/Land Cover classification and Wetland Use Intensity for the whole of Rwanda and evaluate the ability of these layers to meet the identified challenges. The layers’ spatial and temporal characteristics make them combinable and the information content, of each layer alone as well as in combination, renders them useful for different wetland management contexts.

Local Perceptions on the Impact of Drought on Wetland Ecosystem Services and Associated Household Livelihood Benefits: The Case of the Driefontein Ramsar Site in Zimbabwe

The paper assesses local people’s perceptions on the impact of drought on wetland ecosystem services and the associated household livelihood benefits, focusing on the Driefontein Ramsar site in Chirumanzu district, Zimbabwe. Field data were obtained using a questionnaire from 159 randomly selected households, key informant interviews and transect walks. The study findings show that provisioning, regulating and supporting services are severely affected by a high frequency of drought, occurring at least once every two years, compared to cultural services. There is a reduction in water for domestic use and crop farming, pasture for livestock, fish, thatch grass and ground water recharge. Although cultural services such as traditional rain-making ceremonies and spiritual enhancement are largely unaffected by drought, the wetland’s aesthetic value was reported to be diminishing. The habitat and breeding areas of endangered crane bird species were perceived to be dwindling, affecting their reproduction. All the household heads are not formally employed and largely depend on the wetland resources for food and income. However, drought is adversely affecting wetland-based agricultural activities that are key pillars of the households’ economy. Therefore, there is a need for alternative livelihood strategies that enable local communities to adapt to drought impacts without exerting more pressure on the declining wetland resources.

Oil and gas development does not reduce duck pair abundance in the Prairie Pothole Region

Conservation partners are concerned that oil and gas development in the Prairie Pothole Region may reduce the abundance of breeding duck pairs using associated wetland habitat. We conducted wetland-based surveys for breeding pairs of 5 species of dabbling ducks in the Bakken oil field during 2015–2017 across a gradient of oil and gas development intensity to test the hypothesis that the abundance of breeding duck pairs on survey wetlands would decrease as the development of oil and gas resources increased. We included covariates traditionally used to predict breeding duck pairs (i.e. wetland size and class) and a spatiotemporal index of disturbance when developing zero-inflated Poisson models relating pair abundance to environmental predictors. Similar to past analyses, pair abundance was strongly associated with wetland size. Our results were mixed and suggested that the abundance of early and late nesting species was positively and negatively related, respectively, to an index of disturbance that was largely driven by oil and gas development. Regardless of the direction of the relationship, effect sizes were small and not considered biologically significant. Our findings indicate that in our study area, strategies to conserve wetland resources for breeding duck pairs should not deviate from previous prioritization metrics within the range of oil and gas development we observed. We believe that our findings may have implications to similar landscapes within the Bakken.

Wetlands

This chapter focuses on Ottoman policies to manage the exploitation of wetlands in the Tigris-Euphrates alluvial plain. In the early modern period, ever-more powerful empires engaged in ambitious wetland drainage projects in the name of improvement. This chapter offers a counterexample of an empire that used its bureaucratic and financial capabilities to benefit from the exploitation of wetland resources. The Ottoman administration paid particular attention to the cultivation of rice and the husbandry of water buffalo. Both productive activities became major sources of revenue for the state, and their sustenance depended on the ecological integrity of the Tigris-Euphrates marshes.

India: Wetlands as a Case Study in “Commons Capitalism”

Wetlands are a critical resource, essential not only to water quality and quantity, but also to human sustenance and to the thriving ecosystems. Human and ecosystem dependence on wetlands is not well recognised in governmental oversight and community attitudes. As such, markets undervalue them and businesses and industry consider them disposable. Given that the market economy controls the “new normal”, it has not been uncommon for States, when formulating policies to exploit wetland resources for gain, thereby undermining their future and sustainability. India has made some attempts, both nationally and internationally to resolve these matters. This paper is an attempt to showcase one such common property resource, i.e. wetlands in the city of Bangalore, which are under tremendous stress from capitalism.

Effect Price on Expansion of Rice Production and Traditional Wetland Management in Fogera Wetlands, South Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia

BackgroundThis study aims to investigate the impact of rice price on expansion of rice production and traditional wetland management in Fogera Wetlands, on the eastern shore of Lake Tana, northern Ethiopia. Although rice is becoming a major cash crop in the area, it has not been given due attention for sustainability of wetland which has been traditionally integrated with different indigenous agricultural activities such as, livestock rearing, cultivation different crops. The major instruments implemented in data collection were questionnaire, key informant interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) of sampled farmers as well as GIS and Remote Sensing. Survey questionnaire was administered to 385 rice-producing sampled farmers. ResultsThe result shows that 87% of the respondents confirm that increases in prices of rice encouraged them to shift from cultivation of conventional crops to rice farming. Subsequently, between the years 1973 and 2014, wetland areas has been reduced from 3114ha to 1060ha. Major activities being pursued in the wetlands of the study site do not consider their environmental impacts. Natural resource management and conservation policies and strategies implemented in the area didn't consider local people and their knowledge. It needs consideration to create sense of ownership of wetland resources to reduce abusive utilization of the wetland resources. Conclusion Therefore, the of policies, strategies and development activities implementation have to consider environmental issues togerther with rice production.

Research on Toughness Design Strategy of Wetland Park Based on the “Chain Theory” —— A case study of Wuhan East Lake Falling Wild Goose Scenic Spot

Wetland is the significant territorial resources and natural resources in China, whereas the establishment of wetland park is an effective measure to protect wetland resources. The research, taking the Wuhan East Lake Falling Wild Goose Scenic Spot as the example and pointing out the “chain theory”, focuses on the toughness plan and design of wetland park to build “Wetland Pond Chain System” and promote the capacity of nourishing and defending, which can be benefit for the sustainable development of wetland and provide certain references for wetland park plan and design in the future.