IWRA Executive Office

abstract 291

Economic value of provisioning services and livelihood dependence on the Ga-Mampa wetland, South Africa

Author(s): Olalekan Adekola(1), Sylvie Morardet(2), Frederic Grelot, Rudolf de Groot
1) Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen UR, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands 2) International Water Management Institute, Southern Africa office, Private Bag X813 Silverton 0127, Pretoria, South Africa and Cemagref UMR G-EAU,

Keyword(s): economic valuation, livelihood analysis, market valuation, provisioning services, wetland ecosystem

Article:

Poster:

Session: OS6a Economic instruments

AbstractThe size of the Ga-Mampa wetland (1 km2), in the Olifants river catchment in

South Africa, was halved between 1996 and 2004. This jeopardizes the ecological integrity and influences the

benefits people obtain from the wetland. This study therefore analysed the economic values of the provisioning

services derived from the Ga-Mampa wetland and evaluated their contribution to the livelihood of local stakeholders.

Using a direct market valuation technique and based on a mix of data collection approaches that include

questionnaire survey, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, field observation and measurements and

collection of market prices, we estimated the economic value of the main provisioning services provided by the

wetland (collection of edible plants, crop production, livestock grazing, reeds and sedge collection). The results

show that the contribution of the wetland to the livelihood of local community estimated at an annual net financial

value of $411 per household far exceeds its annual cash income of $35 per household and is of the magnitude of the

average monthly cash income from all sources. Most of the materials harvested from the wetland are used for

household subsistence and are rarely sold. The wetland services are also essential to sustain the social and cultural

responsibilities in gift giving to neighbours and relatives.
The study concludes that the local people are highly

dependent on the wetland ecosystem services but that current use levels exceed sustainability levels, which

jeopardizes the future livelihood of the local people. We therefore recommend that the local stakeholders be

supported in identifying alternative sources of livelihood while simultaneously developing sustainable management

strategies for small wetlands such as Ga-Mampa. In addition, other ecosystem services (regulating, supporting)

provided by the wetland to local and downstream stakeholders need to be further studied and economically

assessed.

Events

The congress

Programme

Practical Infos

Economic value of provisioning services and livelihood dependence on the Ga-Mampa wetland, South Africa