Abstract
Conservation and sustainable management of wetlands requires participation of local stakeholders, including communities. The Bigodi Wetland is unusual because it is situated in a common property landscape but the local community has been running a successful community-based natural resource management programme (CBNRM) for the wetland for over a decade. Whilst external visitors to the wetland provide ecotourism revenues we sought to quantify community benefits through the use of wetland goods such as firewood, plant fibres, and the like, and costs associated with wild animals damaging farming activities. We interviewed 68 households living close to the wetland and valued their cash and non-cash incomes from farming and collection of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and water. The majority of households collected a wide variety of plant and fish resources and water from the wetland for household use and livestock. Overall, 53% of total household cash and non-cash income was from collected products, mostly the wetland, 28% from arable agriculture, 12% from livestock and 7% from employment and cash transfers. Female-headed households had lower incomes than male-headed ones, and with a greater reliance on NTFPs. Annual losses due to wildlife damage were estimated at 4.2% of total gross income. Most respondents felt that the wetland was important for their livelihoods, with more than 80% identifying health, education, craft materials and firewood as key benefits. Ninety-five percent felt that the wetland was in a good condition and that most residents observed the agreed CBNRM rules regarding use of the wetland. This study confirms the success of the locally run CBNRM processes underlying the significant role that the wetland plays in local livelihoods.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abastha K, Hussain SA, Badola R (2007) Resource dependence and attitudes of local people towards conservation of Kabartal Wetland: a case study of the Indo-Gangetic plains. Wetl Ecol Manag 15:287–302
Adekola O, Morarder S, de Groot R, Grelot F (2012) Contribution of provisioning services of the Ga-Mampa Wetland, South Africa, to local livelihoods. Int J Biodivers Sci Ecosyst Serv Manag 8:248–264
Amooti TJ (2010) Personal communication. KAFRED Field Officer, Bigodi
Angelsen A, Jagger P, Babigumira R, Belcher B, Hogarth NJ, Bauch S, Börner J, Smith-Hall C, Wunder S (2014) Environmental income and rural livelihoods: a global comparative analysis. World Dev 64:S12–S28
Armitage D, Berkes F, Doubleday N (2007) Introduction: moving beyond co-management. In: Armitage D, Berkes F, Doubleday N (eds) Adaptive co-management: collaboration, learning, and multi-level governance. UBC Press, Vancouver, pp 1–15
Arntzen J, Setlhogile T, Barnes J (2007) Rural livelihoods, poverty reduction, and food security in southern Africa: Is CBNRM the answer? IUCN—The World Conservation Union
Belcher BM (2003) Comment: What isn’t an NTFP? Int For Rev 5:161–168
Brander LM, Florax RJG, Vermaat JE (2006) The empirics of wetland valuation: a comprehensive summary and a meta-analysis of the literature. Environ Resour Econ 33:223–250
Campbell T (2006) Devolved natural resource management as a means of empowering the poor: rhetoric or reality? Trocaire Dev Rev 2006:117–133
Campbell BM, Jeffrey S, Kozanayi W, Luckert M, Mutamba M, Zindi C (2002) Household livelihoods in semi-arid regions: options and constraints. CIFOR, Bogor
Child B (2009) Community conservation in southern Africa: rights-based natural resource management. In: Suich H, Child B, Spenceley A (eds) Evolution and innovation in wildlife conservation: parks and game ranches to transfrontier conservation. Earthscan, London, pp 187–200
De Beer F (2013) Community-based natural resource management: living with Alice in Wonderland? Community Dev J 48:55–570
Dixon AB (2002) The hydrological impacts and sustainability of wetland drainage cultivation in Illubabor, Ethiopia. Land Degrad Dev 13:17–31
Dovie DB, Shackleton CM, Witkowski ET (2002) Direct-use values of woodland resources consumed and traded in a South African village. Int J Sustain Dev World Ecol 9:269–283
Ellis F (2000) Rural livelihoods and diversity in developing countries. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Fabricius C (2004) The fundamentals of community-based natural resource management. In: Fabricius C, Koch E, Magome H, Turner S (eds) Rights, resources and rural development: community-based natural resources management in southern Africa. Earthscan, London, pp 3–43
Farrington J, Carney D, Ashley C, Turton C (2004) Sustainable livelihoods in practice: early application of concepts in rural area. In: Jones S, Carswell G (eds) Environment development and rural livelihoods. Earthscan, London, pp 189–202
Gawler M (2002) What are best practices? Lessons in participatory management of inland and coastal wetlands. In: Gawler M (ed) Strategies for wise use of wetlands: best practices in participatory management. Wetlands International/IUCN/WWF, Wageningen
Gosling A (2011) A case study of Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary as a community driven Community-Based Natural Resource Management Initiative: maintaining livelihoods and wetland health. Rhodes University, Grahamstown
Hartter JN (2007) Landscape change around Kibale National Park, Uganda: impacts on land cover, land use, and livelihoods. PhD Thesis, University of Florida
Hartter JN, Ryan SJ (2010) Top-down or bottom-up? Decentralisation, natural resource management, and usufruct rights in the forests and wetlands of western Uganda. Land Use Policy 27:815–826
Kakuru W, Turyahabwe N, Mugisha J (2013) Total economic value of wetlands products and services in Uganda. Sci World J. doi:10.1155/2013/192656
Kamwenge District Local Government (2004) District state of environment report for Kamwenge. National Environment Management Authority, Uganda
Khumalo KE, Yung LA (2015) Women, human–wildlife conflict, and CBNRM: hidden impacts and vulnerabilities in Kwandu Conservancy, Namibia. Conserv Soc 13:232–243
Lamsal P, Pant KP, Kumar L, Atreya K (2015) Sustainable livelihoods through conservation of wetland resources: a case of economic benefits from Ghodaghodi Lake, western Nepal. Ecol Soc. doi:10.5751/ES-07172-200110
Lepp A (2004) Tourism in a rural Ugandan village: impacts, local meaning and implications for development. PhD Thesis, University of Florida
Lepp A (2007) Residents’ attitudes towards tourism in Bigodi Village, Uganda. Tour Manag 28:876–885
Little PD, Smith K, Cellarius BA, Layne Coppock D, Barrett C (2001) Avoiding disaster: diversification and risk management among East African herders. Dev Change 32:401–434
Maclean IM, Boar RR, Lugo C (2011) A review of the relative merits of conserving, using or draining Papyrus swamps. Environ Manag 47:218–229
Magome H, Fabricius C (2004) Reconciling biodiversity conservation with rural development: the Holy Grail of CBNRM. In: Fabricius C, Koch E, Magome H, Turner S (eds) Rights, resources & rural development: community-based natural resource management in southern Africa. Earthscan, London, pp 93–109
Mmopelwa G, Blignaut J, Hassan R (2009) Direct use values of selected vegetation resources in the Okavango Delta Wetland. S Afr J Econ Manag Sci 12:242–255
Moyini Y, Muramira E, Emerton L, Shechambo F (2002) The costs of environmental degradation and loss to Uganda’s economy with particular reference to poverty eradication. IUCN—The World Conservation Union, Eastern Africa Regional Office, Nairobi
Ngaka W (2007) Illiteracy, participation and feminisation of poverty: a critique of Uganda’s plan for modernisation of agriculture from a literacy perspective. Int J Interdiscip Soc Sci 1:131–136
Nott C, Jacobsohn M (2004) Key issues in Namibia’s communal conservancy movement. In: Fabricius C, Koch E, Magome H, Turner S (eds) Rights, resources and rural development: community-based natural resource management in southern Africa. Earthscan, London, pp 194–199
Pailler S, Naidoo R, Burgess ND, Freeman OE, Fisher B (2015) Impacts of community-based natural resource management on wealth, food security and child health in Tanzania. PLoS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133252
Ramsar Convention Secretariat (2011) Wise use of wetlands: a conceptual framework for the wise use of wetlands. Ramsar handbooks for the wise use of wetlands, 3rd edn, vol 1. Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Gland
Riehl B, Zerriffi M, Naidoo R (2015) Effects of community-based natural resource management on household welfare in Namibia. PLoS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0125531
Rozemeijer N (2009) CBNRM in Botswana. In: Suich H, Child B, Spenceley A (eds) Evolution and innovation in wildlife conservation: parks and game ranches to transfrontier conservation. Earthscan, London, pp 243–256
Schuijt K (2002) Land and water use of wetlands in Africa: economic values of African wetlands. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Uxenburg
Scoones I (2009) Livelihoods perspectives and rural development. J Peasant Stud 36:171–196
Scoones I, Melnyk M, Pretty J (1992) The hidden harvest: wild foods and agricultural systems—a literature review and annotated bibliography. IIED, London
Shackleton SE, Shackleton CM (2004) Are everyday resources valuable enough for CBNRM support? Evidence from South Africa. In: Fabricius C, Koch E, Magome H, Turner S (eds) Rights, resources and rural development: community based natural resource management in southern Africa. Earthscan, London, pp 135–146
Shackleton CM, Shackleton SE, Cousins B (2001) The role of land-based strategies in rural livelihoods: the contribution of arable production, animal husbandry and natural resource harvesting. Dev South Afr 18:581–604
Shackleton CM, Willis TV, Brown K, Polunin N (2010) Reflecting on the next generation of models for community-based natural resources management. Environ Conserv 37:1–4
Shackleton CM, Delang C, Shackleton SE, Shanley P (2011) Non-timber forest products: concept and definition. In: Shackleton SE, Shackleton CM, Shanley P (eds) Non-timber forest products in the global context. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 3–21
Silvius MJ, Oneka M, Verhagen A (2000) Wetlands: lifeline for people at the edge. Phys Chem Earth B 25:645–652
Stuip MAM, Baker CJ, Oosterberg W (2002) Socio-economics of wetlands. Wetlands International and RIZA, The Netherlands
Suich H (2013) The effectiveness of economic incentives for sustaining community based natural resource management. Land Use Policy 31:441–449
Suich H (2014) Evaluating the household level outcomes of community based natural resource management: the Tchuma Tchato Project and Kwandu Conservancy. Ecol Soc 18(4):25
Taylor R (2009) Community based natural resource management in Zimbabwe: the experience of CAMPFIRE. Biodivers Conserv 18:2563–2583
Terer T, Muasya AM, Dahdouh-Guebas F, Ndiritu GG, Triest L (2012) Integrating local ecological knowledge and management practice of an isolated semi-arid papyrus swamp (Loboi, Kenya) into a wider conservation framework. J Environ Manag 93:71–84
Turner S (2004) Community-based natural resource management and rural livelihoods. In: Fabricius C, Koch E, Magome H, Turner S (eds) Rights, resources & rural development: community-based natural resource management in southern Africa. Earthscan, London, pp 44–65
Turyahabwe N, Kakura W, Tweheyo W, Tumusiime DM (2013) Contribution of wetland resources to household food security in Uganda. Agric Food Secur 2:5. doi:10.1186/2048-7010-2-5
van der Jagt C, Gujadhur T, van Bussel F (2000) Community benefits through community-based natural resource management in Botswana. IUCN—World Conservation Union, CBNRM Support Programme, Botswana
Williams WD (2002) Community participation in conserving and managing inland waters. Aquat Conserv Mar Freshw Ecosyst 12:315–326
World Resources Institute and Wetlands Management Department, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda (2009) Mapping a better future: how spatial analysis can benefit wetlands and reduce poverty in Uganda. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank John Tinka of KAFRED and the Community Committee for their support of and contributions to this research, as well as the villagers of Bigodi who made this work possible.
Funding
This work was supported by a Rated Researchers Grant to CS from the South African National Research Foundation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gosling, A., Shackleton, C.M. & Gambiza, J. Community-based natural resource use and management of Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, Uganda, for livelihood benefits. Wetlands Ecol Manage 25, 717–730 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-017-9546-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-017-9546-y