Land-use change and lake eutrophication: Stakeholders’ perceptions on practices and policies in Ethiopia

Abstract

Understanding local land-use decisions and perceptions of land-use dynamics is essential for developing effective and sustainable resource management policies. However, the involvement of local communities in governance, policy development, and broader decision-making processes, especially in densely populated agricultural regions with intense competition for limited resources is often limited. Here, we assessed stakeholder perspectives on the drivers and consequences of land-use change in the Abaya-Chamo and Tana basins in Ethiopia, East Africa, with the goal of contributing to improved policy development. Using Q-methodology, 43 participants, including 22 smallholder farmers and 21 local decision-makers, sorted 30 statements, followed by in-depth interviews. The analysis identified three distinct perspectives: sustainable land-use advocates, economic-driven policy critics, and agricultural expansionists. Sustainable land-use advocates integrated ecological concerns with socioeconomic considerations; economic-driven policy critics prioritised economic outcomes while viewing land-use policies as ineffective; and agricultural expansionists emphasised maximising the economic use of land, lakes, and wetland resources. These groups showed marked disagreement over the economic use and management of lakes, wetlands, and non-forested lands. While some participants perceived farming as minimally linked to lake degradation, others emphasised the economic use of lakes and wetlands alongside an awareness of environmental impacts. A shared concern across all discourses was the negative view of forest to farmland conversion. Participants widely criticised current agricultural and conservation policies as ineffective or misaligned with local and agrological realities. This study identifies the heterogeneity of land-use perspectives across regions and stakeholders and shows the need for agroecologically grounded, region-specific policies and implementation strategies.