The Malagarasi-Muyovozi Wetland Ecosystem in northwestern Tanzania, a designated Ramsar Site, plays a vital role in supporting biodiversity and sustaining local communities’ livelihoods by providing a wide range of ecosystem services. Despite this international recognition, the wetland continues to degrade due to unsustainable human–nature interactions. This study examined how Village Land Use Planning (VLUP) processes align local land governance with global conservation commitments under the Ramsar Convention. A qualitative case study design was used, and 10 villages were purposively selected based on their proximity to the Ramsar wetland and their relevance to VLUP. Participants were purposively selected based on their experience and institutional responsibility in land and environmental management. The study conducted ten focus group discussions with 50 participants, including men, women, youth, elders, Village Game Scouts, and farmers. In addition, the study conducted 10 key informant interviews with village chairpersons, members of Village Natural Resource Committees, and agricultural, community development, and environmental officers. Findings indicate that although most villages in Kaliua District have VLUPs, their effectiveness in planning demarcation and achieving Ramsar conservation objectives was limited because the plans were outdated and poorly linked to effective wetland conservation. However, structures such as Village Natural Resource Committees and Village Game Scouts provide opportunities for more participatory wetland conservation. The study recommends periodically updating VLUPs within district planning cycles, strengthening vertical and horizontal institutional coordination, and increasing inclusive participation of local resource users to strengthen implementation and the long-term sustainability of Ramsar wetland governance.
Tropical peatlands are key ecosystems for carbon sequestration, water regulation, and biodiversity conservation, yet they are increasingly threatened by drainage, fire, and agricultural expansion. Paludiculture, the productive use of wet and rewetted peatlands, has emerged as an internationally recognized management alternative that seeks to reconcile local livelihoods with conservation of the peat body. In Costa Rica, however, this approach has not yet been implemented. This study evaluated management strategies for the Los Robles Sector Peatland (LRP) within the Medio Queso Wetland (MQW), weighing restoration and conservation against productive paludiculture. The methodology combined a review of the governing regulatory framework; a structured survey of 55 residents covering anthropogenic pressures, socioeconomic conditions, and perceptions of alternative production models; and fertility analyses of nine composite soil samples along three transects. Respondents identified livestock grazing, fire, drainage and monoculture expansion as the main threats; they recognized direct benefits from the wetland but had limited knowledge of its ecosystem services and of paludiculture. Soils were strongly acidic and nutrient-poor throughout, with potassium and phosphorus declining from the river channel toward the upland margin. On this basis we propose a multifunctional model built on native flood-tolerant species, among them Raphia taedigera, Elaeis oleifera, Schoenoplectus californicus, and Neptunia oleracea, arranged in functional zones matching this fertility gradient: higher-biomass, more nutrient-demanding uses near the river, and fiber and handicraft species on the more depleted margin. Rather than a definitive solution, the model is offered as a pilot framework whose feasibility depends on institutional, regulatory and local-capacity constraints being addressed through participatory planning. Under those conditions it may reduce fire recurrence, limit the loss of hydrological and carbon functions, and diversify local livelihoods.
This study evaluates the influence of the commissioning of a wastewater treatment plant on waterbird communities in a wetland classified as a Ramsar site located in the central Algerian Sahara. Bird communities of Lake Hassi El Gara were compared between two seasonal survey cycles, twenty years apart (2005-2006) and (2024-2025). Initial results show that no statistically significant difference in diversity indices was detected between survey cycles, whereas PERMANOVA analysis revealed a statistically significant change in the composition of the avian community. This dissimilarity between the two periods is mainly attributable to nine species accounting for approximately 75
The Amazon harbours a high diversity of anuran species, sustained by its remarkable environmental heterogeneity. However, anuran biodiversity in Amazonian floodplains has been overlooked, and few research efforts have been made to unveil the composition and diversity of anurans in Amazonian tidal floodplains. In this study, we investigated richness and composition of anurans in the tidal floodplains of Amazonas river delta. Sampling was carried out along five transect at three sites with different degrees of urbanization in tidal floodplains of Amapá State, Brazil. We analyzed species’ richness and abundance and calculated dissimilarity between sites. In addition, we partitioned beta diversity into turnover and nestedness components and accessed the contribution of each site to regional beta diversity (LCBD). = We found 22 species of frogs from 10 genera and three families (Bufonidae, Leptodactylidae, and Hylidae). Rarefaction curves showed a tendency toward stabilization of species richness and diversity, for both common and dominant species. Bray–Curtis index ranged from 0.51 to 0.66 between sites, with Leptodactylus podicipinus and Dendropsophus walfordi as the main species contributing to the dissimilarities in composition. Dissimilarity was driven mainly by the turnover component with LCDB values showing that the variation between sites significantly contributes to the total beta diversity.. Our findings underscore the importance of conserving tidal floodplains along the Amazonas estuary as a refugia for the diversity of anurans.
Wetland degradation resulting from anthropogenic activities is a critical global environmental issue with far-reaching consequences on human and natural environment. The present study examined the drivers of wetland degradation in coastal settlements of Lagos, Nigeria. A random sampling method was adopted to administer survey questionnaires to 500 respondents. Data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and linear regression. The ANOVA result revealed that the model consisted of four significant variables. The regression equation model identified four predictors of wetland degradation. The study concluded that poor enforcement of government policy on wetland, industrial revolution, population increase pressure on wetland, and high rate of land acquisition for various uses are the major factors contributing to wetland degradation. The study provides policymakers and regulatory agencies with baseline information for sustainable and effective wetland management in coastal settlements. The study recommends enforcing policies to prevent wetland degradation.
