Abstract
Wetlands provide a diverse range of ecosystem services supporting livelihoods of many people. Despite their value, wetlands are continuously being degraded. There is scant information on individual wetlands, people’s dependency and their exploitation at a local scale. We therefore assessed wetland ecosystem services, the drivers of change and impacts of those drivers on ecosystem services and people’s dependency through a case study of the Maguri-Motapung Beel wetlands of Assam, India. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through household surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and community workshops. The analyses showed a total of 29 ecosystem services, and high dependency on these with five out of seven livelihood strategies sourced from ecosystem services. Over-exploitation of wetland resources and siltation were reported as the major direct drivers of change with impacts on both ecosystem services and people’s livelihoods. Drastic decreases in availability of thatch, fish stocks, fodder and tourism were observed. This suggests that there is an urgent need for a comprehensive participatory management plan. Actions are needed to maintain the Maguri-Motapung Beel wetlands and the flow of services in order to sustain people’s livelihoods in the area. With an estimated 50% global loss of wetlands in the last century and the loss of 5,000 square kilometers a year in Asia alone, the loss of ecosystem services and livelihood impacts shown in our study may be typical of what is occurring in the region and perhaps globally.
Highlights
Wetlands cover 5–10% of Earth’s terrestrial surface [1] and are defined as “the areas of marsh, fen, peat land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water, the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters” [2]
We recognize that wetland areas are not all the same, our objective is to show through this case study the scale of changes to ecosystem services and livelihoods that wetlands in the region and perhaps globally may be experiencing and the potential consequences for local people
A total of 29 key ecosystem services were identified through household survey, Focus Group Discussion (FGDs) and key informants interviews for the Maguri-Motapung Beel
Summary
Wetlands cover 5–10% of Earth’s terrestrial surface [1] and are defined as “the areas of marsh, fen, peat land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water, the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters” [2]. As a transitional ecosystem between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, wetlands support high biodiversity [3,4] and are essential to the health of both aquatic and terrestrial life forms [1]. With their specific hydrological functions, they control floods by slowing down water movement, reducing water velocity and sedimentation [5], and promote aquifer replenishment [6]. The provision of food, water and livelihood security to the people living in and around them is widely recognized [8,9,10] Their global economic values were calculated to be about USD 70 billion per year [11]. In Asia alone, about 5,000 square kilometres of wetlands are lost annually [16]
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