Impacts of Land Use/Land cover change on wetland Ecosystem Services of Lakes Abaya-Chamo Wetland

Abstract

Although wetlands in Ethiopia provide multiple ecosystem services, they are extremely affected because of human pressure and limited policy attention. We aimed this study at analyzing the ecological services and drivers of the degradation of the Abaya-Chamo lake-wetland. We gathered data using a questionnaire survey of 304 HH (selected via systematic sampling), interviews, and satellite images. Normalized difference vegetation, water, and turbidity indices were used for satellite image interpretation via ArcGIS. Mean, standard deviation, correlation, and regression were used for data analyses. Abaya-Chamo lake-wetland offers fish, timber, firewood, fodder, irrigation, farmland, rainfall, habitat, tourism, aesthetics, recreation, carbon sink, air quality, and climate control services. The area showed siltation-led raising turbidity and a loss of 48.9% of its swamp area from 1990 to 2019. Farm expansion, siltation, irrigation, invasive plants, open access and overuse of resources, lack of legal framework, and rapid population growth were the main drivers of wetland degradation. Land degradation is anticipated adjacent to the lake-wetland in the next few decades because of irrigation. Invasive plants result in dwindling aquatic resources, economic, and tour benefits, and changes in local climate depleting water, and the dissolved O2 and CO2 sink capacity of the lake-wetland rapidly. Thus, thegovernment should plan a clear policy and legal framework for the sustainable management of wetlands.