Drivers of land use changes and impacts on human-hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) interactions in villages adjacent to Lake Babati, Tanzania

Abstract

Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) are victims of land use changes (LUC) due to their semi-aquatic nature. Although human–hippopotamus interactions (HHI) are known to exist in the area surrounding Lake Babati, nothing is known about the LUC in relation to the interactions. The study aimed at assessing the trend of LUC in the last 20 years in relation to time of establishing new settlement and farming seasons in relation to HHI, respondents’ perceptions of HHI, and mitigation measures used by local people against Hippos adjacent Lake Babati. Remote sensing and GIS techniques, questionnaires and focused group discussions were used to assess human perceptions regarding trends of the LUC in the study area. LUC was monitored by using landsat images from the years 1999 and 2019. The findings indicate an increase in settlement while water, agroforestry, and seasonal agricultural lands were decreasing. The time respondents stayed in the village, farm size, and respondents’ perception of HHI trends were observed to vary with the distance from the lake. The presence of LUC on adjacent Lake Babati jeopardized the ecological integrity of Hippos’ habitat and increased tension and overlap between hippos’ and human needs. The findings provide a baseline for managing HHI and recommend proper land use planning that prioritizes the use of alternative crops like fruit trees especially within 3 km from the lake. Human population and settlement expansion patterns should also be monitored in areas closer to the lake for sustaining wildlife conservation and livelihood development in Lake Babati and surrounding areas.