Indigenous people’s perception of the existing ecosystem services and pervasive drivers for the degradation of Boyo wetland, southern Ethiopia

Wetland ecosystems provide services to numerous communities worldwide. However, anthropogenic pressure continues to escalate in many wetlands, resulting in the degradation of the ecosystem. The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the perceptions of local and indigenous people regarding ecosystem services provided and examine the drivers that are causing the Boyo wetland to change. The study employs a mixed research design that integrates both quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques, such as household questionnaire surveys (n = 178), focus group discussions (n = 5), key informant interviews (n = 20), and field observations. Participants have been selected through purposive and simple random sampling methods. In this study, the existing wetland ecosystem services are identified based on their observed importance at the local level, with provisioning services considered the most beneficial ecosystem services. We use the chi-square test to determine if differences exist among perceptions of the value of existing ecosystem services in the wetland depending on variables including gender and education level. While no significant differences exist for gender, we do find a statistically significant result for regulating and cultural services regarding respondent educational attainment. Higher-educated local people were more likely to have a good idea about these services. According to the respondents, the main drivers causing change that harms the services provided by the study wetland are siltation and population pressure. Based on this analysis, we recommend soil conservation measures and afforestation in the watershed area to prevent siltation, as well as education and outreach to help local communities better understand the challenges and benefits of local wetlands. In addition, an alternative livelihood option is necessary to reduce the growing population pressure.