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A photovoice assessment for illuminating the role of inland fisheries to livelihoods and the local challenges experienced through the lens of fishers in a climate-driven lake of Malawi.

ABSTRACT: Small-scale inland capture fisheries provide an important source of nutritious food, employment and income to millions of people in developing countries, particularly in rural environments where limited alternatives exist. However, the sector is one of most under-valued fisheries sectors and is increasingly experiencing environmental change. This study adopts a Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and investigates how important a fluctuating inland fishery is to livelihoods, and how local perceptions on challenges corresponds to global evidence. Through an innovative participatory method; photovoice, the lived experiences and perceptions of fishers are depicted. The findings illuminate the valuable role of the sector to food and nutrition security and the complex nexus with vulnerability to climate change. The study responds to the call for more local level assessments of the impacts of climate change on inland fisheries in data-limited environments, and the value of the sector in underpinning the Sustainable Development Goals.

SUBMITTER: Simmance FA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8231085 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Lake Malombe is ranked among the most vulnerable inland freshwater shallow lakes in Malawi. The lake has lost over US$79.83 million ecosystem service values from 1999 to 2019 due to rapid population growth, increased poverty, landscape transformation, and over exploitation-hampering the effort to achieve United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, life underwater (SDG 14), life on land (SDG 15), climate action (SDG 13), and no poverty (SDG 1) and Aichi Biodiversity Targets. In line with the 2021-2030 United Nations' Declaration on massive upscaling of the ecosystems restoration effort, this study applied the contingent valuation method (CVM) and binary logistic regression model to determine the public's willingness to pay (WTP) for ecosystem restoration and the influencing factors. The aim was to integrate science into policy framework to achieve a sustainable flow of ecosystem services (ESs). Qualitative data were collected by employing focus group discussion, key informant interviews, and field observation. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires covering 420 households. The results revealed that 56% of the respondents were willing to pay an average of US$28.42/household/year. These respondents believed that the initiative would improve lake ESs, fish biodiversity, income level, water quality and mitigate climate change impact. Age, gender, literacy, income, social trust, institutional trust, access to extension services, period stay in the area, household distance from the lake, lake ecological dynamics impact, having the hope of reviving the lake health ecological status, perception of having lake ecological restoration program, participation in lake restoration program, access to food from the lake, involved in fishing and Lake Malombe primary livelihood sources significantly (p < 0.05) influenced WTP. This study provides a reference point to policymakers to undertake cost-benefit analysis and develop a practical policy response framework to reverse the situation and achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

Dataset Information

A photovoice assessment for illuminating the role of inland fisheries to livelihoods and the local challenges experienced through the lens of fishers in a climate-driven lake of Malawi.

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