Human-hippo conflicts around Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve, Ethiopia: Vulnerability of hippopotamus in human-dominated landscape.

Currently, the demand of the human population for more land, water, and other natural resources from wildlife habitats is increasing all over the world. Such intense human pressure results in conflict with wildlife and the impacts affect both parties negatively. The human-hippo conflict poses a serious problem for both local farmers' livelihoods and hippo conservation. To date, the extent of human-hippo conflict is poorly documented in Ethiopia. Specifically, the extent of human-hippo conflicts around Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve (LTBR) is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the extent of human-hippo conflict, and possible mitigation measures proposed by the local people around LTBR, Ethiopia. We conducted a questionnaire interview with the household head, the household head's wife, or other adults ≥ 18 years old. All respondents reported that crop damage was the main cause of human-hippo conflict around LTBR. Livestock grazing competition (17.4%) and human attack (19.5%) were also sources of conflicts in the region. Respondents claimed that hippos destroyed crops including maize (Zea mays), teff (Eragrostis teff), finger millet (Eleusine coracana), and rice (Oryza sativa). Most (91.2%) respondents claimed that the severity of crop damage caused by hippos was high in the region. Most respondents (range 90 to 93%) complained about high crop damage suggesting that hippos be eliminated from the region. Local people estimated that the population sizes of hippos comprise an average of 243 individuals; however, we counted 122 hippos during our boat survey in the area. The result of this study showed that human-hippo conflicts cause negative effects on both farmers' livelihood and hippo conservation in the region. To mitigate human-hippo conflict, we suggest that proper land use zonation systems around key areas, broad awareness creation among local people, and alternative crop production should be promoted around the LTBR.

Macroinvertebrate assemblages along a gradient of physicochemical characteristics in four riverine wetlands, Upper Blue Nile basin, Northwestern Ethiopia.

This study aims to examine the physicochemical variables that influence macroinvertebrate assemblages in wetlands of the Fetam River watershed. Macroinvertebrates and water quality samples were collected from 20 sampling stations across four wetlands between February and May 2022. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to elucidate the physicochemical gradients among datasets and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was applied to explore the relationship between taxon assemblages and physicochemical variables. Aquatic insects such as Dytiscidae (Coleoptera), Chironomidae (Diptera), and Coenagrionidae (Odonata) were the most abundant families, and they comprised 20-80% of the macroinvertebrate communities. As demonstrated by cluster analysis, three site groups including slightly disturbed (SD), moderately disturbed (MD), and heavily disturbed (HD) sites were identified. PCA showed a clear separation of slightly disturbed sites from moderately and highly impacted sites. Differences in physicochemical variables, taxon richness and abundance, and Margalef diversity indices were observed along the SD to HD gradient. Phosphate concentration was an important predictor that influenced richness and diversity. The extracted two CCA axes of physicochemical variables accounted for 44% of the variability in macroinvertebrate assemblages. Nutrient concentration (nitrate, phosphate, and total phosphorus), conductivity, and turbidity were the main drivers of this variation. This suggested the need for sustainable wetland management intervention at the watershed level, ultimately benefiting invertebrate biodiversity.

The driving forces of wetland degradation in Bure and Wonberma Woredas, Upper Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia.

Although the land use/land cover (LULC) of inland wetlands has been dynamic over the last 100 years, the extent of their LULC dynamics and its driving forces are poorly understood particularly in Ethiopia. Thus, this study analyzed spatiotemporal dynamics of four (Alefa, Chakun, Denbun, Kotilan) wetlands LULC and its driving forces in the Bure and Wonmbera Woredas, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia for the period from 1985 to 2020. The Landsat images downloaded from Google Earth Engine were used to analyze the LULC of four wetland watersheds. These images were classified into 7 classes by using the maximum likelihood algorithm in ArcGIS 4. Besides, a survey of 347 households, 4 focus group discussions, and 12 key informant interviews and transect walks were used to generate the data on the drivers of wetland changes. The LULC analysis showed that the four wetlands area in 1985, 2002, and 2020 occupied 6027 ha, 5203 ha, and 4348 ha, respectively, which indicated that the areas of wetlands have declined by 1679 ha or 27.9% in the past 35 years, with an average annual decrease rate of 48.4 hectares. Wetlands were lost at a higher rate (16.4%) from 2002 to 2020. The cultivated land expansion has taken a substantial share (67.9%) of wetlands' decline. The expansion of cultivated land due to an increase of rural households along with a lack of alternative livelihoods resulted in the conversion of wetlands to cultivated land. Gully erosion and sediment deposits due to wetlands buffer degradation, overgrazing, and change in crop production driven by market opportunities have exacerbated the wetlands loss. Thus, interventions such as the promotion of alternative livelihood activities, stall livestock feeding or zero-grazing, and non-conventional livestock feeds are needed to curb wetland degradation. Delineation of buffer zone and protection of shrubland or woodlands found in buffer areas of the wetlands are needed as well for the sustainability of wetlands.

Socioeconomic effects of water hyacinth (Echhornia Crassipes) in Lake Tana, North Western Ethiopia.

Water hyacinth has been progressively advanced in Lake Tana since 2011 and covered vast areas of the lakeshore. The aim of this study was to assess how the lakeshore covered by the weed mats affected the socioeconomic of the local community. The study was based on a survey of 405 households, 8 group discussions and interviews of 15 key informants conducted from January to March 2018. The results revealed that crop production, livestock feed supply, water supply, fishing, the health of local people and livestock were impacted negatively by the infestation of water hyacinth. The range of socioeconomic problems caused by the weed generally implied the real impacts on the lives of local communities and national economic development. The efforts made to control water hyacinth has costed huge labor and financial resources. The results revealed that close to 800,000 human labor dedicated to manual removal of the weed from 2012 to 2018 and above one million USD spent for procurement of harvester machines and bioagent experiments. In spite of the devotion of huge labor and spending of a lot of money, the expansion of the weed has not controlled. Poor coordination of controlling efforts, dumping of harvested dense mats of the weed in the lakeshore, lack of genuine participation of the local people are principal factors for the failure of the controlling efforts A coordination of various stakeholders thus is needed to make eradicating methods more effective. Other alternative options should also be considered to control the weed expansion.