Assessment of the socioeconomic benefits and challenges facing Bakusa National Park in Northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Despite Ethiopia’s expanding network of protected areas, empirical evidence on the socioeconomic-environmental trade-offs within newly established or lesser-studied parks such as Bakusa remains limited. This study therefore assesses the socio-economic contributions, identifies key resource conflicts, and analyzes land use and land cover (LULC) changes of Bakusa National Park in Northwestern Ethiopia. Data were collected through structured and semi-structured questionnaires from 365 households, selected using stratified proportional random sampling across six kebeles. A supervised classification with maximum likelihood algorithm analysis was employed to evaluate LULC changes using Landsat imagery (30 m) from 1993 to 2022, complemented by higher-resolution Sentinel-2 imagery (10 m) for improved classification accuracy. All analyses were performed using ArcGIS 10.8 and ERDAS Imagine 2015. The socioeconomic analysis is guided by the sustainable livelihoods framework, and the land-use assessment. The study’s findings indicate that Bakusa National Park substantially contributes to local livelihoods, with major income sources derived from crop production (51,345 Ethiopian Birr (ETB)) and livestock sales (18,456 ETB). In addition, the park provides about 20% of household income through forest-derived resources such as firewood, construction materials, charcoal, and honey. Despite these benefits, the park faces severe threats, including agricultural expansion (97.8%), free grazing (95.5%), fires (92.3%), fuelwood collection (87.7%), and human encroachment (35.3%). These pressures are exacerbated by population displacement from conflict-affected areas, particularly in Benishangul-Gumuz. The LULC analysis indicated significant environmental degradation, with substantial losses in wetlands (− 67.84%), forest cover (− 27.58%), and grasslands (− 8.74%), which correspond to the remarkable cropland expansion of 354.67%, highlighting the intensifying anthropogenic pressure on the park’s ecosystems. The results underscore the urgent need for sustainable land management strategies, enhanced conservation policies, and active community involvement to protect Bakusa National Park and ensure its long-term role in supporting local livelihoods.