Public assessment of green infrastructure benefits and associated influencing factors in two Ethiopian cities: Bahir Dar and Hawassa

Kassahun Gashu,Tegegne Gebre-Egziabher

doi:10.1186/s12898-019-0232-1

Kassahun Gashu, Tegegne Gebre-Egziabher

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12898-019-0232-1

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Journal: BMC Ecology	Publication Date: Apr 23, 2019
Citations: 17	License type: open-access

Affiliation: University of Gondar, Addis Ababa University

Abstract

BackgroundCurrently, urban green infrastructure is increasingly gaining attention as a source of multiple benefits. Understanding how city residents perceive the benefits of green infrastructure is critical for urban policy and planning. This paper investigates public assessment of the benefits of green infrastructure and the associated influencing factors in Bahir Dar and Hawassa cities of Ethiopia.ResultData were collected from residents of the two cities and inferential and descriptive statistics were used to identify public assessment of benefits of green infrastructure and the factors that influence their assessment of benefits of green infrastructure. Findings revealed that people either agree or strongly agree to the triple benefits (environmental, economic and socio-cultural) of green infrastructure. The Pearson’s Chi-square test results depict that, except a few, most of the demographic, socio-economic and bio-physical factors have no significant influence on environmental, economic and socio-cultural benefits of green infrastructure.ConclusionThis study implies that an understanding of the public assessment of the benefits of green infrastructure can provide important inputs to promote participatory green infrastructure planning.

Highlights

Urban green infrastructure is increasingly gaining attention as a source of multiple benefits
This study implies that an understanding of the public assessment of the benefits of green infrastructure can provide important inputs to promote participatory green infrastructure planning
Understanding how city residents perceive the benefits of green infrastructure is critical for urban policy and planning concerned with social justice, equity, wellbeing and sustainability [5]

Summary

Introduction

Urban green infrastructure is increasingly gaining attention as a source of multiple benefits. Different aspects of participation in Understanding how city residents perceive the benefits of green infrastructure is critical for urban policy and planning concerned with social justice, equity, wellbeing and sustainability [5]. This is important in Sub-Saharan Africa where there is a rapid pace of urbanization and need for urban environments should secure meaningful and quality of life [6]. It is important to understand how the different demographic, Gashu and Gebre‐Egziabher BMC Ecol (2019) 19:16 socio-economic and bio-physical factors influence people’s perception of these benefits These factors could be used as predictors of peoples’ assessment and help to understand why people perceive the different benefits in a very different manner

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Conclusion