Percorrer por autor "Owuor, Margaret Awuor"
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- Application of free satellite imagery to map ecosystem services in Ungwana Bay, KenyaPublication . Mathai, Daina; Vitorino Cristina, Sónia; Owuor, Margaret AwuorA major obstacle to mapping Ecosystem Services (ES) and the application of the ES concept has been the inadequacy of data at the landscape level necessary for their quantification. This study takes advantage of free satellite imagery to map and provide relevant information regarding ES and contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources in developing countries. The aim is to assess the flow of ES in mangrove ecosystem of Ungwana Bay, located on the northern coast of Kenya, by adopting the Land Use Land Cover (LULC) matrix approach. This study characterized LULC classes present in the study area, identified the most important ES, and collected data on expert opinions via a survey on ES flow supplied by the mangrove ecosystem. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the expert scoring produced a LULC matrix which, when integrated with the LULC maps, showed the spatial distribution of ES flow. The assessment indicates very high flow (5.0) for the regulating and supporting services, high flow (4.0) for the cultural services, and medium flow (3.0) for the provisioning services as supplied by mangroves. In addition, the analysis indicates there are sixteen major ES supplied by the mangrove ecosystem of Ungwana bay as of the year 2021. This study highlights the importance of mangroves as a coastal ecosystem and how the visualization of the spatial distribution of ES flow using maps can be useful in informing natural resource management. In addition, the study shows the possibilities of using freely accessible satellite imagery and software to bolster the ES assessment studies lacking in developing countries.
- Community perceptions of the status and threats facing mangroves of Mida Creek, Kenya: Implications for community based managementPublication . Owuor, Margaret Awuor; Icely, John; Newton, AliceThe management of forest ecosystems globally is shifting from a top-down-approach, through centralised management by the state, to a more inclusive bottom-up approach involving community participation. Increasingly, there is a realisation that sustainable management of natural resources is dependent on the inclusion of local people or institutions through actions such as Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM). However, successful implementation of CBNRM depends on understanding the perception that local communities have of an ecosystem's resources. In this context, the present study examines the perceptions of local people on the status and threats facing the mangrove ecosystem of Mida Creek in Kenya. After consultation with these people, a closed ended questionnaire has been produced, investigating the perception of the local community on the degradation status of mangroves, as well as on the main threats affecting the mangroves. Furthermore, the study analysed the influence of the respondents' social characteristics on the choices they make about the degradation status and threats affecting the mangroves. Results show that 12% of the respondents consider the mangroves to be 'degraded' while 40% consider mangroves to be 'somewhat degraded'. The perceived drivers of mangrove degradation were human-induced activities such as firewood harvesting, pollution from plastics and faeces, pollution from oil spills, overharvesting for building materials and encroachment for settlements. Age, the size of the household and the location of the respondent were some of the variables that also affected the respondent's perceptions. Since problem identification is an important first step for tracing the causal chain behind resource degradation, the outcomes of this study are important for designing policies that could ameliorate problems. It also highlights the importance of involving the community in the initial stages of developing management policies, since they hold views that are necessary for policy change and improvement.
- Valuing mangrove biodiversity and ecosystem services: a deliberative choice experiment in Mida Creek, KenyaPublication . Owuor, Margaret Awuor; Mulwa, Richard; Otieno, Philip; Icely, John; Newton, AliceMangrove degradation threatens the capacity of these important ecosystems to provide goods and services that contribute to human wellbeing. This study uses a deliberative choice experiment to value non-market mangrove ecosystem services (ES) at Mida Creek, Kenya. The attributes assessed include “shoreline erosion protection”, “biodiversity richness and abundance”, “nursery and breeding ground for fish”, and “education and research”. Unpaid labour (volunteer time) for mangroves conservation was used as the payment mechanism to estimate willingness to pay (WTP). Results suggest that respondents were willing to volunteer: 5.82 h/month for preserving the mangrove nursery and breeding ground functions to gain an additional metric ton of fish; 21.16 h/ month for increasing biodiversity richness and abundance; 10.81 h/month for reducing shoreline erosion by 1 m over 25 years; and 0.14 h/month for gaining 100 student/researcher visits/month. The estimation of WTP for mangrove ES provides valuable insights into the awareness of local communities about the contribution of mangrove forests to ES delivery. This knowledge could assist decision-making for the management and conservation of mangroves in Mida Creek and its environs.