Human Activity, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Protected Areas : Impacts and Remediation Strategies in Nech Sar National Park, Ethiopia

This book examines the development needs of protected areas with threatened ecological biodiversity to gain deeper understanding of the local perspective of protected area ecosystems. The study focuses on the case of Nech Sar National Park in Ethiopia, a protected area facing many development challenges due to human over-utilization of its resources and threats to wildlife. The conceptual framework developed by this research makes an academic contribution in the protection and sustainable development of national parks' natural capital, since it is designed to provide a systemic analysis of the problem by showing the extent and magnitude of human induced impacts on the natural capital of protected areas. In line with this, the application of the framework produces new and evidence-based findings which will help to improve the governance of protected areas as the research will provide park authorities with a practical tool in addressing the underlying causes of the degradation of national parks before the state of degradation of these resources reach its irreversible juncture. The book will help academicians and researchers to assess the state of biodiversity resources in protected areas using Nech Sar National Park as a representative example of a threatened area common throughout Africa, and will enable development practitioners and policy makers to devise appropriate strategies such as community participation in the governance of protected areas that could help to halt the degradation of resources in protected areas. Foreword Acknowledgment About the Book Contents List of Figures List of Tables Abbreviations Chapter 1: Overview on the Impact of Human Activity on Protected Areas 1.1 Why Protected Areas? 1.2 Impact of Human Activities on Protected Areas 1.3 Protected Areas Governance: Top-down, Bottom-up, and Hybrid Approaches 1.4 Community Participation as an Approach to Protected Areas Management 1.5 Protected Areas and Sustainable Development 1.6 Biodiversity in Ethiopia 1.7 Description of the Study Site 1.7.1 Rainfall and Temperature 1.8 Indigenous and Local Communities Livelihood and Nech Sar National Park 1.9 Significance and Justification of the Book 1.10 Objective of the Book References Chapter 2: Examining/Interrogating the Literature on the Impact of Human Activity on Protected Areas and the Pathway for a New Conceptual Framework 2.1 Protected Areas: Definition, Relevance, and Recognition 2.2 Historical Overview of Protected Areas 2.3 Benefits of Protected Areas 2.4 Protected Areas Biodiversity Loss and the Increasing Trend of Zoonotic Diseases 2.5 Threats Impacting Protected Areas 2.6 Literature Gaps on the Impact of Human Activity on Protected Areas 2.7 Towards a Practical Conceptual Framework for Linking Human Needs and Biodiversity Conservation in Protected Areas 2.7.1 IPBES Conceptual Framework: Connecting Nature and People 2.7.2 DFID’s Sustainable Livelihood Development Framework and Conservation of Protected Areas 2.7.3 Social Assessment for Protected Areas Analytical Framework 2.7.4 Conceptual Framework for Assessing the Integration of Human Needs with Biodiversity 2.7.5 A Practical Framework for Understanding Environmental Governance 2.8 Conceptual Framework for Analyzing the Impact of Human Activity on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of Protected Areas 2.8.1 Elements of the Conceptual Framework of the Research 2.9 Chapter Summary References Chapter 3: Status and Prospects of Biodiversity in Nech Sar National Park 3.1 Anthropogenic Impact on Forest Species Diversity, Density, and Natural Regeneration Potentials 3.2 Invasive Alien Plants as a Threat to the Biodiversity of Protected Areas 3.3 Ecological Assessment Methods to Examine Impact of Human Activity on the Biodiversity of the Park 3.3.1 Impact of Human Activity on Natural Regeneration Status of Woody Vegetation 3.3.2 Human Interference on Woody Vegetation Species Diversity 3.3.3 Impact of Human Activity on Density of Woody Vegetation 3.3.4 Examination of Wildlife Feed Availability (Status of Ground Cover of Herbs) 3.3.5 Satellite Images 3.3.6 Assessment of Invasive Plants 3.3.7 Fuelwood Extraction and Household Energy Demand 3.4 Results and Discussions—Status and Prospects of Biodiversity in Nech Sar National Park 3.4.1 Composition and Important Value Index of the Woody Species 3.4.2 Population Structure of the Woody Vegetation 3.4.3 Natural Regeneration Status of the Ground Water Woody Vegetation of the Park 3.4.4 Impact of Human Activity on Density of the Ground Water Woody Vegetation 3.4.5 Status of the Woody Vegetation Species Diversity 3.4.6 Status of Wildlife Feed in the Nech Sar Grassland Plain 3.4.7 Invasive Plants and Bush Encroachment as a Threat for Wildlife Habitat 3.4.8 Aquatic Ecosystems of the Park and Human Interference 3.4.9 Household Energy Demand and its Impact on Nech Sar National Park 3.4.10 Traditional Energy Utilization and Efficiency 3.5 Summary of the Chapter References Chapter 4: Impact of Human Activities on the Ecosystem Services of Nech Sar National Park 4.1 Ecosystems and their Services 4.2 Ecosystem Services Information Analysis Processes and Tools 4.3 Ecosystem Services of Nech Sar National Park 4.3.1 Provisioning Services 4.3.2 Supporting Services 4.3.3 Regulating Services 4.3.4 Cultural Services 4.4 Community Preference for the Ecosystems 4.5 Perception of the Communities on the State of Ecosystems 4.6 Summary of the Chapter References Chapter 5: Protected Areas Governance Impediments and Human Activities 5.1 Governance in the Context of Protected Areas 5.2 Governance Approaches: Top-down and Bottom-up Approaches 5.3 The Genesis of Protected Areas in Ethiopian 5.4 Governance Systems of Ethiopia’s Protected Areas 5.5 Governance History of Nech Sar National Park 5.6 Governance Challenges Assessment Data Collection Processes and Tools 5.6.1 Thematic Data Analysis Processes and Techniques 5.7 Analysis of Nech Sar National Park Governance Practices Against GAPA Principles 5.7.1 Achievement of Conservation and other Objectives 5.7.2 Benefits Equitably Shared Among Relevant Actors 5.7.3 Full and Effective Participation of Relevant Actors in Decision Making 5.7.4 Effective and Fair Enforcement of Laws and Regulations 5.7.5 Effective Coordination and Collaboration Between Actors, Sectors, and Levels 5.8 Summary of the Chapter References Chapter 6: Way forward for the Sustainable Development of Protected Areas: Integrated Strategic Development Approaches 6.1 Developing the Discussion on the Impact of Human Activity on the Protected Area 6.2 Operationalization of the Conceptual Framework for the Formulation of Integrated Development Approaches 6.3 Contributions of the Conceptual Framework to Knowledge 6.4 Integrated Strategic Development Approaches 6.4.1 Development of Alternative Livelihoods 6.4.2 Promotion and Development of Medicinal Plants 6.4.3 Strengthening of Institutional Capacity 6.4.4 Training and Education Development 6.4.5 Official Demarcation and Establishment of Buffer Zone 6.4.6 Gender Mainstreaming 6.5 Governance and Policy Implications 6.6 Further Research Recommendations 6.7 Summary of the Chapter References Appendices Index