Environment & Ecosystem Science (EES)

This study investigates the perceptions of rural households in Aleta-Wondo District, Ethiopia, regarding domestic biogas technology and its potential to reduce deforestation and dependence on biomass for energy. Domestic biogas is a renewable energy solution that can decrease reliance on traditional fuels like firewood, charcoal, and kerosene, which contribute to deforestation and environmental degradation. However, biogas adoption remains limited in the region. A survey of 191 households (90 adopters and 101 non-adopters) was conducted using multistage sampling, with data analyzed through descriptive statistics and regression models to determine adoption patterns. Biogas adoption significantly reduced traditional fuel use: firewood consumption decreased by 83.33%, charcoal by 66.67%, and kerosene costs for cooking were eliminated. This shift reduced deforestation and promoted forest regeneration. Adopters also experienced notable time and financial savings, including an 81.82% reduction in monthly firewood use, an 80% decrease in firewood collection trips, and a weekly time savings of 8 hours (72.7%). Key factors influencing adoption, identified through binary logistic regression (p < 0.01; pseudo R2 = 49%), included household head’s sex and education, income, water access, livestock ownership, and credit availability. The study highlights biogas as a sustainable, cost-effective solution to reduce energy problem, conserve forests, and improve rural livelihoods. However, adoption barriers such as financial constraints, technical expertise gaps, and limited credit access must be addressed. Targeted government support, including financial incentives, technical assistance, and capacity-building, is essential to scale up adoption and maximize its benefits.

River encroachment in Barishal City has emerged as a critical environmental problem, drastically affecting aquatic biodiversity and the native ecosystem. The present study investigates the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to this issue. Barishal, with its extensive network of rivers like the Kirtankhola, Arial Khan, and Tetulia rivers, has traditionally relied on these rivers for transportation, farming, and trade. Despite this, augmented urbanization, industrialization, and unchecked building on riverbanks have led to the encroachment of the rivers. This, in turn, has caused habitat loss, reduced water quality, and disruption in the balance of ecology, severely threatening aquatic life. Added to this, the environmental consequence in the form of increased flood risk, modification of river flow regimes, and loss of important ecosystem services adds complexity to the issue. Preventing this crisis requires sustainable city planning, strict regulatory measures, and increased community awareness to promote the long-term conservation of Barishal’s riverine ecosystem and aquatic biodiversity. Urgent recovery measures are necessary to prevent further degradation and ensure the sustainability of the region’s riverine ecosystem.

Flooding is a significant natural disaster that affects many communities around the world, including KwaZulu Natal Province in South Africa. Vulnerability to flooding is influenced by a variety of community characteristics, including social, environmental, and economic factors. Understanding the impact of these characteristics on vulnerability is essential for effective disaster risk reduction and management strategies. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of community characteristics on vulnerability to flooding in the iLembe district municipality. Data were collected from 67 households using a survey questionnaire and analysed using multiple regression analysis. The results of the regression analysis revealed that social and economic characteristics significantly predicted vulnerability to flooding, while environmental characteristics did not have a significant effect. Specifically, social characteristics had a negative relationship with vulnerability, indicating that higher levels of social characteristics were associated with lower vulnerability to flooding. The results further suggest that poverty and economic insecurity may increase vulnerability to flooding in this community. Interestingly, the coefficient for environmental characteristics was not statistically significant, indicating that these factors do not have a significant impact on vulnerability score in this context. This finding may reflect the fact that the study was conducted in a relatively homogenous geographic region, where environmental characteristics may be relatively consistent across the community. Overall, these results highlight the importance of social and economic factors in understanding vulnerability to flooding in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa. Policymakers and practitioners should consider interventions that address poverty and economic insecurity, as well as promote social cohesion and support networks, to reduce vulnerability to flooding in this community.

Zooplankton biodiversity and water quality of the Mfou municipal lake was carried out from April to September 2014, following a monthly sampling frequency. Sampling for physicochemical analyses was carried out by direct sampling at the surface and along the water column using a 6L Van Dorn bottle. Zooplanktons were collected by filtering 100 L of water taken from the seagrass beds of the municipal lake, through a 64 μm mesh sieve. The 100 ml retentate collected was fixed with 10 ml of Formalin 5% and used for identification and counting. Physicochemical analyses revealed that the water of the Mfou municipal lake was relatively hot (25.5 ± 1.31°C), slightly acidic (6.95 ± 0.41 CU), moderately oxygenated (52.72 ± 12.27%), poorly mineralized and low loads of organic matter. A homogeneous quality of the water column (p > 0.05) and a low organic pollution with nitrogen as limiting factor of eutrophication (N/P Ratio = 12.88 ± 12.52) was observed. These characteristics enable to classify the Mfou municipal lake as mesotrophic. Biologically, 42 zooplankton species were recorded, including 29 species of Rotifers (69.05%), 10 species of Copepods (23.81%) and 3 species of Cladocerans (7.14%). A total zooplankton density was 2209 ind/L dominated by Rotifers with 933 ind/L (42%) mainly represented by Brachionus falcatus (188 ind/L), followed by Copepods with 827 ind/L (38%) dominated by Ectocyclops hisurtus (77 ind/L) and Cladocerans with 449 ind/L (20%) mainly represented by Moina micrura (344 ind/L) was recorded during the study period. These zooplanktons were quite diverse (H’ = 4.22 ± 0.27 bits/ind) with a tendency towards an even distribution of species (E = 0.73 ± 0.05). The abiotic typology classifieds the lake into three groups according to the major origin of the pollutants while the biotic typology classifieds them into three groups according to the tolerance of the zooplankton species to organic matter. This lake is experiencing the early stage of anthropogenic disturbance. Regular hydrobiological studies are needed for monitoring the ecology of this hydrosystem.

Accurate estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is essential for determining crop water requirements and optimizing irrigation management. While the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith (FAO-56 PM) method remains the global standard for ETo estimation, simpler alternative methods persist due to their lower data requirements. This study developed and evaluated multiple linear regression models for ETo prediction across three stations in agriculture-dominated northwestern Bangladesh (Rajshahi, Bogra, and Rangpur) using meteorological data from 1979 to 2022. The analysis revealed solar radiation as the strongest predictor of ETo (Kendall’s τ > 0.74), followed by maximum temperature (τ > 0.68), while sunshine hours and relative humidity showed weaker correlations (τ < 0.1). Among the three developed models, Model 3—incorporating average temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed—achieved superior performance (R² > 0.97, RMSE < 0.024) compared to the other models (R² > 0.93, RMSE < 0.07). These robust regression models provide valuable tools for agricultural water management in the study regions, enabling precise irrigation scheduling, improved yield forecasting, and climate-resilient policy development.

Microplastics (MPs) are tiny plastic particles that persist in nature for more than 100 years. This review aimed to illustrate the scenario of global microplastic pollution in various rivers and their ecological impacts. The study collected data from journals, books, and reports published within the last twenty years using multiple search engines such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, etc. Microplastics (MPs) were found in high abundance in river systems, which act as pathways for from terrestrial to marine ecosystems. FTIR, or Raman spectroscopy, Py-GC-MS, and SEM-EDS were the major instruments to identify MPs. Green or blue-colored fibers or fragments like PE or PP polymers were dominant MPs in rivers. This review found the highest 120 ± 43 MPs/L in water samples collected from Nakdong River, South Korea, whereas the highest 13607 MPs/kg in sediment samples collected from peripheral rivers of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and MPs abundance ranged from 6.3 to 22.21 MPs/fish and 40 MPs/bird. Ingested microplastics can block digestive tracts, reduce nutrient absorption, and lead to starvation, and they can cause exposure to toxins and pathogens. However, it causes bioaccumulation and disrupts food chains and habitats. Therefore, effective mitigation strategies should be adopted to address the microplastic pollution in rivers.

The rapid growth of shipbreaking yards in Sitakunda, Chattogram, Bangladesh, has raised concerns about its environmental and biodiversity impacts. This study examines the environmental flow and vulnerability of coastal ecosystems due to expanding shipbreaking activities, utilizing satellite imagery, historical data, and field observations. The industry’s growth has led to significant major changes, with forests and agricultural land being transformed into shipbreaking yards, resulting in deforestation and habitat destruction. Multi-temporal Landsat imagery from 1989–2024 tracks this expansion, revealing an increase from 367 hectares in 1989 to over 5,600 hectares in 2024. The shipbreaking process, which occurs on the intertidal zone, releases hazardous pollutants like oil, chemicals, and heavy metals, degrading soil, water, and air quality. These disruptions have harmed marine and terrestrial biodiversity, especially affecting fish and aquatic habitats. The findings highlight the need for effective environmental management and policy interventions to mitigate the ecological damage. Recommendations include a sustainable ship recycling fund, environmental impact assessments, and stricter regulation enforcement. This research emphasizes the importance of balancing economic growth with ecological preservation in the shipbreaking industry.

Dukan Lake is a key source of drinking water for the residents of Sulaimani city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Recently, concerns regarding its water quality have grown; however, there has been limited research on the lake’s condition. Therefore, this study was undertaken to evaluate the water quality of Dukan Lake using the Water Quality Index (WQI). Water samples were collected from three locations in the lake during 2022and 2023. Nine water quality parameters, namely, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity, hardness, alkalinity, sodium, and nitrate were analyzed in the samples. It was noted that all water quality parameters, except for alkalinity and hardness, were within the permissible limits. The average WQI value was calculated to be 63, with a range between 56 and 69. All water samples fell within the “Good water” category. It is concluded that the water from Dukan Lake is safe for drinking. However, ongoing monitoring of water quality is recommended.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces critical, interconnected challenges in climate change, energy access, and food security, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. Focusing on Kenya and Nigeria as representative case studies, this paper examines how integrating Indigenous knowledge and practices for climate adaptation and food security into legal frameworks can enhance governance of the interconnected climate-energy-food nexus. By analysing specific cases, such as Maasai pastoralist strategies in Kenya and traditional agricultural practices in Nigerian communities, the paper proposes actionable legal and policy reforms to bridge the gap between formal legal structures and indigenous knowledge. Advocating for an inclusive, culturally sensitive approach to environmental governance, this paper underscores the imperative of formally recognising and integrating Indigenous knowledge and practices into legal frameworks to enhance climate adaptation and food security.

Crop diversity is central in nutrition and food security, supporting the world with about sixty percent of total world’s protein. Over time, the close to 5000-7000 crops have reduced to a record of approximately 10 species dominating global food provision sometimes due to drivers of change like land use. This work was conducted as main objective, to assess the crop diversity within the wetlands of the Eastern part of the Bamendjin Dam in Bangourain and Kouoptamo Subdivisionss. The methods deployed in this study were the key informants’ consensus, focus group discussions and on-site field observation. The results showed that 87 species of crops were cultivated among which there were 150 varieties co-existing with the Dam. Assessing the diversification of the crops revealed majority of the farmers cultivated an average of six crops within their holdings. These crops belonged to 30 families of which the Solanaceae dominated with the highest number of species while the Fabaceae recorded the highest number of genetic diversity. The crops were grouped into 13 categories following their predominant parts used. When they were assigned into various frequency classes, it provided a reverse J shape. Ranking of the varieties according to their cultivation rate showed that Zea mays was the most cultivated crop within the wetland. Evaluating the local taxonomy of the local communities in identifying species revealed that morphological traits like color overshadowed. When these traits were exemplified in the varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris which recorded the highest varieties, it revealed that the local communities mostly used colors, shape, size and height to distinguish varieties of a given species.