Diversity and trade-offs of water values in the Akaki River System in Ethiopia: context of urban–rural linkage

Amare Haileslassie, Ephrem Tesema, M. Mersha, Tilaye Worku Bekele, Mengistu Desalegne and Alemseged Tamiru Haile
Additional contact information
Amare Haileslassie: International Water Management Institute
Ephrem Tesema: International Water Management Institute
Tilaye Worku Bekele: International Water Management Institute
Mengistu Desalegne: International Water Management Institute
Alemseged Tamiru Haile: International Water Management Institute

Papers published in Journals (Open Access), 2024, 10:101.

Abstract: The objectives of the study were to investigate community perception and articulation of diverse and priority water values and examine water value trade-offs in the context of urban–rural interaction. The study applies the socio-ecological system framework and integrates bio-physical and socioeconomic methods into it. These methods include Household Surveys (HHs); Focused Group Discussions (FGD); Key Informant Interviews (KII); Cumulative Pollution Index (CPI); GIS for spatial analysis and literature review. Through HHs, 23 water values were identified in Akaki. Most respondents of the HHs prioritized three water values (water for agriculture, livestock, and domestic use). The stakeholder consultation substantiated the priority for domestic water value but also acknowledged waste assimilation services of rivers that absorb and strew pollutants from industries and households. The result of KII suggests that water system structures (e.g., reservoirs) are the mnemonic value for past events and sustain scenic values of local, national, and global importance. The Cumulative Pollution Index (CPI) based pollution assessment indicates that the Akaki water system lost a significant number of its water value (compared to the actual uses) due to river pollution across its reach and more critically at its outlet. The differences between the CPI value-based recommended water uses and actual water uses reflect a lack of options, awareness gaps, and a low level of policy enforcement. It is concluded that policy directions and decision-making need to acknowledge the multiple water values and competing uses of water, as points of departure, to reconcile water value trade-offs, conserve water and create awareness.

Keywords: Rivers; Water systems; Rural urban relations; Water security; Water use; Pollution; Water governance; Stakeholders; Land use; Land cover; Household surveys; Sociocultural systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40899-024-01068-5.pdf

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iwt:jounls:h052851

DOI: 10.1007/s40899-024-01068-5

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Papers published in Journals (Open Access) from International Water Management Institute Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chandima Gunadasa ().