Abstract
Ansupa, the largest freshwater lake in Odisha state, a Ramsar Site has immense significance for biodiversity and provisioning services. In light of its wide range of social and economic benefits and many effects on human well-being, the present study attempts to determine local stakeholders’ dependency, resource use, knowledge, and perception of wetland conservation. We conducted 120 household surveys in villages adjacent to Ansupa Lake. We used a questionnaire with both open-ended and closed-ended questions to obtain information on the socioeconomic profile of the villagers, their dependencies, and their perceptions of lake conservation. We used a Likert scale to measure respondents’ perceptions and ordinal regression to analyse the datasets. The survey found that people living on the lake’s fringes depend directly or indirectly on it, regardless of their economic status. Nearly 40% of the respondents relied entirely on the lake for their livelihood. Irrigation, pisciculture, non-timber forest products, and fodder are economic benefits derived from the lake. In this context, the findings of the study highlight a substantial link between dependency, benefits, and education, influencing residents’ perceptions of the lake. Further, our study could be helpful to society in terms of Ansupa lake conservation and management planning, as well as the government in involving locals in lake conservation initiatives and decision-making processes.
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Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the PCCF cum CWLW Odisha for granting permission to execute this work. We are thankful to the frontline forest staff of the Athgarh Forest Division and village heads for their assistance during the field study. We also acknowledge Bitupan Baruah, Gaurav Nandi Das, Sumati Soren, and Sasmita Pattnaiak for their valuable comments and assistance during the field study.
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No funding or grants were received for this study. However, only logistical support was provided by the Athgarh Forest Department.
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HSP: Conceived idea. SKD, AP, HSP, and RKM: designed this study. SKD, and AP : conducted the fieldwork. SKD, and AP: Shorted the data and conducted the formal analysis. SKD, and GS: Drafted the manuscript.; HSP, AKM, and RKM: Guided overall study, edited, and reviewed manuscript drafts. All authors read the manuscript and approved the final version for publication.
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Before conducting the field survey, the necessary approval was taken from the Athgarh forest division, Odisha (Memo No. Comp-I dated 20/12/2014). The Ethical approval to conduct this study was granted from the PG Department of Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation, North Orissa University vide letter no. NOU-WLBC/67/15 dated 06/01/2015. In addition, the authors have also taken verbal permission from the village heads (Pradhans) before conducting questionnaires.
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Dash, S.K., Payra, A., Sonker, G. et al. The Role of Education and Resource Benefit on People’s Perception Towards Conserving the Largest Freshwater Lake of Odisha, India. Wetlands 42, 97 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-022-01620-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-022-01620-z