Socio-economic values of wetland resources around Lake Manyara, Tanzania: assessment of environmental threats and local community awareness on environmental degradation and their effects

Authors

  • HE Nonga Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro and Norwegian School of Veterinary Science
  • RH Mdegela Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro
  • E Lie Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo
  • M Sandvik National Veterinary Institute, Oslo
  • JU Skaare Norwegian School of Veterinary Science and National Veterinary Institute, Oslo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/jowe.v4i0.4153

Keywords:

Ecosystem services, rivers, Lake Manyara, wetland, agriculture

Abstract

Understanding local people’s socio-economic values of wetlands and traditional mechanisms of managing natural resources forms the basis of conserving them. Wetlands have frequently been developed for short-term economic gains that destroy their ecological values and environmental services in the long term. A study was carried out to assess socio-economic values of the wetland resources, environmental threats around Lake Manyara and local community awareness on causes of environmental changes, degradation in the wetlands and their effects using 80 respondents. Field surveys, interviews, questionnaires and direct observation were used in data collection. It was found that local community was aware on the ecosystem services accrued from the wetlands which were unsustainably used. However, environmental degradation due to unsustainable agriculture, overgrazing, deforestation, urbanization and mining was rampant which had resulted to soil erosion, reduced water availability, wildlife mortality and frequent dry up of Lake Manyara and rivers. In order to protect the lake basin; controlled human activities, land use and water resources within the catchment are to be done in cooperation between the government departments, local authorities and the general local community around.

Key words: Ecosystem services; rivers; Lake Manyara; wetland; agriculture

DOI: 10.3126/jowe.v4i0.4153

Journal of Wetlands Ecology, (2010) Vol. 4, pp 83-101

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Abstract
1234
PDF
1163

Downloads

How to Cite

Nonga, H., Mdegela, R., Lie, E., Sandvik, M., & Skaare, J. (2011). Socio-economic values of wetland resources around Lake Manyara, Tanzania: assessment of environmental threats and local community awareness on environmental degradation and their effects. Journal of Wetlands Ecology, 4, 83–101. https://doi.org/10.3126/jowe.v4i0.4153

Issue

Vol. 4 (2010)

Section

Research Articles

License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

The Journal of Wetlands Ecology grants each author the right to republish the article in any book for which he or she is the author or editor, without paying royalties to the Journal of Wetlands Ecology, subject to the express conditions that (a) the author notify the Journal of Wetlands Ecology in advance in writing of this republication and (b) a credit line attributes the original publication to the Journal of Wetlands Ecology.

The author hereby transfers, assigns, or conveys all copyright ownership to the Journal of Wetlands Ecology. By this transfer, the article becomes the property of the Journal of Wetlands Ecology and may not be published elsewhere without written permission from the Journal of Wetlands Ecology. This transfer of copyright also implies transfer of rights for printed, electronic, microfilm, and facsimile publication. No royalty or other monetary compensation will be received for transferring the copyright of the article to the Journal of Wetlands Ecology.