Abstract
The survey was conducted from March 2012 to March 2013 based on field observations and samples. Shesher is natural reservoir of Lake Tana found at coordinates of 0350300 and 1322162 UTM and at altitudes 1805 a.s.l. Welala natural reservoir is found at UTM coordinates of 0348348 and 1326081 with altitude of 1804 a.s.l. The area of Shesher and Welala was estimated about 500 ha and 110 ha respectively, which are impounded by open water for extended period of a year and both with maximum depth of 3 m during rainy season. Both reservoirs filled their capacity during the rainy season through the inflow river of Ribb and the surrounding flood plain. But during pick dry season of March, 2012 and March 2013 the survey showed unexpected, amazing and sudden death of a home for many biodiversity that both Shesher and Welala natural reservoirs dried up totally. Birds fetch their food from remnants small shrink wet mud spot and it is not uncommon to see remnant dead fishes eaten by birds. This is due to several and unlimited human encroachments mainly for crop cultivation, without any rules and regulations. Major crops cultivated by drained two reservoirs using gravitational force were Eragrastis teff, Cheak pea, Grass pea, Lentils and Safflower. During dry season no one could be able found drinking water even for their animals and humans, inhabitants started digging well to fetch water from the middle of Shesher and Welala reservoirs. The drainage system was carried out at every 50 m intervals by making large furrows in both sides of two reservoirs until their water totally vanished. These reservoirs should be properly and sustainably exploited by designing appropriate interventions without land use change, for instance it could be serve for fisheries, ecotourism and livestock sectors.
Highlights
Direct effects of climate change on wetlands are likely to be accentuating by human induced changes that will increase stress on wetland ecosystems
Shesher is natural reservoir of Lake Tana found at coordinates of 0350300 and 1322162 UTM and at altitudes 1805 a.s.l, which filled its capacity during the rainy season through the inflow river of Rib and the surrounding flood plain
This reservoir is estimated with an area of 500 hectares filled with water and free from vegetation cover due to its high relative depth that estimated of maximum depth 3m during the pick rainy season (Figure 2)
Summary
Direct effects of climate change on wetlands are likely to be accentuating by human induced changes that will increase stress on wetland ecosystems. Up to 60% wetlands have been destroyed in the last 100 years due to drainage, conversion, infrastructure development and pollution. These changes could have been responsible for most of the loss in freshwater biological diversity in the United States in recent decades [1]. Climate change is expected to lead to a decrease in water availability, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. To address this problem, many countries will need to continue efforts to increase reservoir storage capacity to meet the increasing demands for freshwater
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