Effects of land-use change on the provisioning ecosystem service of wetlands: the case of a social-ecological systems perspective of Boyo Wetland in Ethiopia

Abstract

Wetlands are catchment life support systems with diverse ecological and socio-economic functions. They have played a significant role in  the growth of African human civilisations and cultural development, and today contribute billions of US dollars’ worth of ecosystem  services to the people of Ethiopia. Ethiopia exhibits both natural and man-made wetland types that cover up to 2% of its land surface.  They are, however, under threat from excessive pressures that are both ecologically and socially driven. The objective of this study was to  analyse the state of ecosystem services provision of the Ethiopian wetlands, with a novel application of Ostrom’s Socio-ecological Systems  Framework (SESF), taking Boyo Wetland as a case study. Household surveys, focus group discussions and stakeholder analysis  methods were applied to satisfy the data needs of SESF. Insufficient knowledge of actors on wetland ecosystem services, weak  governance and limited self-organisation among actors are highlighted as the major reasons contributing to the unsustainable use of  wetlands. When the use of Boyo Wetland’s ecosystem services was evaluated using the SESF, it was evident that unsustainable resource  use practices are widespread. These findings could be used to inform national policy on wetlands and local strategies for the sustainable  use of wetland resources by direct or indirect users at different levels.