Blue Resources Research and Policy Institute, L534, Mallam, Greater Accra, Ghana.
Murray Foundation, Brabners LLP, Horton House, Exchange Street, Liverpool L2 3YL, UK; Laboratory of Geoscience, Water and Environment, (LG2E-CERNE2D), Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University of Rabat, Rabat 10000, Morocco; CIMA, FCT-Gambelas Campus, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
Sci Total Environ. 2022 Sep 10;838(Pt 3):156234. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156234. Epub 2022 May 26.
Human activities in coastal lagoons over several decades have had a significant impact on their ecology and the valuable ecosystem services they provide. Although there are several management approaches to mitigate the problem, they are unable to link human needs and activities with changes in the state of the environment. This research provides this link via assessment of eleven lagoons in Ghana with a socio-ecological framework (Drivers (D), Activities (A), Pressure (P), State (S), Impact (I) on welfare (W), and Response (R) as a Measure (M); DAPSI(W)R(M)). Data were systematically obtained from relevant publications, previously conducted research, and national reports on the subject and were analyzed using this socio-ecological framework. Results show that basic biological and physiological needs such as food and shelter, social status and dominance, financial self-reliance, and self-actualization are the drivers of fishing, farming, settlements, salt mining, mangrove harvesting, industries, among others. These activities have contributed to pressures of selective extraction of fish and mangroves species, the introduction of heavy metals, organic materials, and smothering of substrates, consequently altering the environment by decreasing the oxygen rate and increasing the biochemical oxygen demand, organic matter, nutrients and pathogens, and reduction in lagoon areas and biodiversity. Thus, ultimately impacting human welfare, such as loss of revenue, employment, and seafood provision. Management options, including addressing the building and fuelwood material sources, afforestation and community ownership of lagoons, the prohibition of construction activities, and research-led management that can support decision-makers to improve the sustainability of these ecosystems, are highlighted. The findings have global implications for guiding local planners and state regulators in the applications of such integrated environmental management.
几十年来，人类在沿海泻湖中的活动对其生态和提供的宝贵生态系统服务产生了重大影响。尽管有几种管理方法可以缓解这个问题，但它们无法将人类的需求和活动与环境状况的变化联系起来。本研究通过对加纳的 11 个泻湖进行社会生态框架（驱动因素（D）、活动（A）、压力（P）、状态（S）、福利（W）上的影响（I）和作为措施的响应（R）；DAPSI(W)R(M)）评估来提供这种联系。数据是从相关出版物、先前进行的研究和国家报告中系统收集的，并使用这个社会生态框架进行分析。结果表明，食物和住所、社会地位和主导地位、经济自给自足和自我实现等基本的生物和生理需求是捕鱼、农业、定居点、盐矿开采、红树林采伐、工业等活动的驱动因素。这些活动导致了鱼类和红树林物种的选择性捕捞、重金属、有机物质的引入以及基质的窒息等压力，从而通过降低氧气率和增加生化需氧量、有机物、营养物和病原体，并减少泻湖面积和生物多样性，改变环境。最终影响了人类的福利，如收入、就业和海鲜供应的损失。强调了管理选项，包括解决建筑和薪材来源、造林和社区拥有泻湖、禁止建筑活动以及以研究为导向的管理，这些选项可以支持决策者提高这些生态系统的可持续性。这些发现对指导地方规划者和国家监管机构在应用这种综合环境管理方面具有全球意义。
