PS 18-169 - Ecosystem Service Valuation along Landscape Transformation in Central Ethiopia

Monday, August 15, 2022

5:00 PM – 6:30 PM EDT

Located in: ESA Exhibit Hall

Presenting Author(s)

AB

ABERA Assefa BIRATU

Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research and Haramaya University
Addis Ababa, Oromiya, Ethiopia

Coauthor(s)

SG

Solomon Gebreyohannis Gebrehiwot

Ethiopian Institute of Water Resource, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Water and Land Resource Center, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ethiopia
AM

Assefa M Melesse

Department of Earth Science and Environment, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA, United States
TN

Tilahun Nebi

Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ethiopia
BB

Bobe Badai

College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Haramaya University, Haramaya, Ethiopia, Ethiopia
WA

Wuletawu Abera

International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ethiopia
LT

Lulseged Tamene

International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ethiopia
AE

Anthony Egeru

Department of Environmental Management, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, f Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), Kampala, Uganda, Uganda

Background/Question/Methods

Land degradation and discontinuation of ecosystem services (ES) are a common phenomenon that causes socio-economic and environmental problems in Ethiopia. However, a dearth of information is known on how ES is transforming from the past to the future with regard to Land Use Land Cover (LULC) transition. This study aimed at estimating the values of ES based on the past and future LULC changes in Rift Valley Basin, central Ethiopia. We analyzed LULC changes and estimated the total ES value for the years 1986-2051. Maximum likelihood classifier and Cellular Automata-Artificial Neuron Network (CA-ANN) model that integrates the Module for Land Use Change Evaluation (MOLUSE) plug-in for QGIS version 2.0 were used to classify and predict LULC. CA-ANN model learning and validation were employed using 2001, 2011 and 2021 LULC maps. Following LULC change detection and prediction, the total ES values were estimated using benefit transfer method.

Results/Conclusions

The results revealed that forests, wetlands, grazing lands, shrub-bush-woodlands and water bodies were reduced by 9755ha (37%), 4092ha (38.4%), 21263ha (81%), 63161ha (25.7%), and 905ha (1%), respectively in the year between 1986 and 2021. Likewise, forests, wetlands, grazing lands, shrub-bush lands and water bodies areas will be lost by 1.5%, 0.5%, 2.6%, 19.6% and 0.1%, respectively whereas cultivated lands, bare-lands and built-ups are increased in the years between 1986 and 2051. The total ES values were reduced by US$ 102 and 222.4 million in the years 1986-2021 and 1986-2051. Food production, biological control and pollination values were increased while other 14 ES decreased throughout the study periods. We, therefore, encourage policy enforcement and measures that could help for sustainability, and enhancement of multiple ES. We also recommend further studies to examine other land use management scenarios which were not incorporated here could help policy directions.