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Social-ecological change in the Omo-Turkana basin: A synthesis of current developments.

ABSTRACT: This paper synthesizes current knowledge on the impacts of the Gibe III dam and associated large-scale commercial farming in the Omo-Turkana Basin, based on an expert elicitation coupled with a scoping review and the collective knowledge of an multidisciplinary network of researchers with active data-collection programs in the Basin. We use social-ecological systems and political ecology frameworks to assess the impacts of these interventions on hydrology and ecosystem services in the Basin, and cascading effects on livelihoods, patterns of migration, and conflict dynamics for the people of the region. A landscape-scale transformation is occurring in which commodities, rather than staple foods for local consumption, are becoming the main output of the region. Mitigation measures initiated by the Ethiopian government-notably resettlement schemes-are not adequately buffering affected communities from food insecurity following disruption to indigenous livelihood systems. Therefore, while benefits are accruing to labor migrants, the costs of development are currently borne primarily by the agro-pastoralist indigenous people of the region. We consider measures that might maximize benefits from the changes underway and mitigate their negative outcomes, such as controlled floods, irrigating fodder crops, food aid, and benefit sharing.

SUBMITTER: Hodbod J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6722148 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Social-ecological change in the Omo-Turkana basin: A synthesis of current developments.

Hodbod Jennifer J Stevenson Edward G J EGJ Akall Gregory G Akuja Thomas T Angelei Ikal I Bedasso Elias Alemu EA Buffavand Lucie L Derbyshire Samuel S Eulenberger Immo I Gownaris Natasha N Kamski Benedikt B Kurewa Abdikadir A Lokuruka Michael M Mulugeta Mercy Fekadu MF Okenwa Doris D Rodgers Cory C Tebbs Emma E

Ambio 20190108 10

This paper synthesizes current knowledge on the impacts of the Gibe III dam and associated large-scale commercial farming in the Omo-Turkana Basin, based on an expert elicitation coupled with a scoping review and the collective knowledge of an multidisciplinary network of researchers with active data-collection programs in the Basin. We use social-ecological systems and political ecology frameworks to assess the impacts of these interventions on hydrology and ecosystem services in the Basin, and ...[more]

PMID: 30623361

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Drylands, which are among the biosphere's most naturally limiting and environmentally variable ecosystems, constitute three-quarters of the African continent. As a result, environmental sustainability and human development along with vector-borne disease (VBD) control historically have been especially challenging in Africa, particularly in the sub-Saharan and Sahelian drylands. Here, the VBD burden, food insecurity, environmental degradation, and social vulnerability are particularly severe. Changing climate can exacerbate the legion of environmental health threats in Africa, the social dimensions of which are now part of the international development agenda. Accordingly, the need to better understand the dynamics and complex coupling of populations and environments as exemplified by drylands is increasingly recognized as critical to the design of more sustainable interventions. MAIN BODY:This scoping review examines the challenge of vector-borne disease control in drylands with a focus on Africa, and the dramatic, ongoing environmental and social changes taking place. Dryland societies persisted and even flourished in the past despite changing climates, extreme and unpredictable weather, and marginal conditions for agriculture. Yet intrusive forces largely out of the control of traditional dryland societies, along with the negative impacts of globalization, have contributed to the erosion of dryland's cultural and natural resources. This has led to the loss of resilience underlying the adaptive capacity formerly widely exhibited among dryland societies. A growing body of evidence from studies of environmental and natural resource management demonstrates how, in light of dryland system's inherent complexity, these factors and top-down interventions can impede sustainable development and vector-borne disease control. Strengthening adaptive capacity through community-based, participatory methods that build on local knowledge and are tailored to local ecological conditions, hold the best promise of reversing current trends. CONCLUSIONS:A significant opportunity exists to simultaneously address the increasing threat of vector-borne diseases and climate change through methods aimed at strengthening adaptive capacity. The integrative framework and methods based on social-ecological systems and resilience theory offers a novel set of tools that allow multiple threats and sources of vulnerability to be addressed in combination. Integration of recent advances in vector borne disease ecology and wider deployment of these tools could help reverse the negative social and environmental trends currently seen in African drylands.

Project description:BackgroundDetermination of infection rates of snail populations is one of the basic tools for epidemiological studies of snail borne diseases. In this study, we opted to determine the trematode infection of freshwater snails in the Omo-Gibe River Basin, southwest Ethiopia.MethodsWe collected snail samples from 130 observation sites in lakes, wetlands, rivers, reservoirs and irrigation canals surveyed during the dry season (March to May) in 2016. The snail samples were examined for trematode infections by cercarial shedding immediately after collection. Habitat conditions, water quality, human water contact practices and other human activities were assessed at each survey site. A redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to examine the relationship between cercarial infection and environmental variables. The statistical significance of eigenvalues and cercariae-environment correlations generated by the RDA were tested using Monte Carlo permutations at 499 permutations.ResultsA total of 3107 snails belonging to five species were collected. The most abundant species was Biomphalaria pfeifferi, representing 66% of the total collection. Overall, 109 (3.6%) of the snails were found infected with trematodes (cercariae). Biomphalaria pfeifferi was found to be the most highly infected, accounting 85% of all infected snails. A total of eight morphologically different types of cercariae were recorded, which included: Echinostoma cercariae, brevifurcate apharyngeate distome cercariae, amphistome cercariae, brevifurcate apharyngeate monostome cercariae, xiphidiocercariae, longifurcate pharyngeate distome cercariae, strigea cercariae and unidentified cercariae. Brevifurcate apharyngeate distome cercariae, and Echinostoma cercariae were the most abundant cercariae, accounting for 36 and 34% of all infection, respectively. The mean concentration of water conductivity and 5 days biological oxygen demand were higher in irrigation canals and lake sampling points. Human activities such as open field defecation, urination, livestock grazing, farming, and swimming were highly correlated with trematode infection.ConclusionsThe abundance, occurrence and infection rates of snail species were largely influenced by water physicochemical quality, sanitation and water contact behaviour of the inhabitants. Human activities, such as open field defecation and urination, livestock grazing, farming, and swimming were important predictors of the abundance of cercariae. Therefore, awareness creation should be implemented for proper containment of excreta (urine and faeces) and reducing human and animal contacts with surface waters to reduce snail-borne disease transmission.

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Social-ecological change in the Omo-Turkana basin: A synthesis of current developments.

Publications

Social-ecological change in the Omo-Turkana basin: A synthesis of current developments.

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