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Do ecosystem services influence household wealth in rural Mali?

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  • Liebenow, Danielle King
  • Cohen, Matthew J.
  • Gumbricht, Thomas
  • Shepherd, Keith D.
  • Shepherd, Gemma

Abstract

The impact of ecosystem services on human livelihood is rarely demonstrated. We investigated whether ecosystem services influence household wealth in semi-arid rural Mali, where climate variability and soil degradation were expected to regulate subsistence production. Mean rainfall, mean rain use efficiency, and rain use efficiency trends (a land degradation proxy) over the last 25years were used to quantify ecosystem services. Asset wealth was measured in 2527 households from 65 villages spanning the range in ecosystem services. We evaluated effects on wealth, controlling for household size and demographics, ethnicity, village size, crop selection, and distance to open water and markets. While wealth variation was dominated by demographics, significant associations with ecosystem services were observed. Predicted household wealth increased significantly (20%) with rainfall. Effects of rain use efficiency mean and trends were also significant, but only when conditioned on rainfall. With lower rainfall, wealth increased with mean rain use efficiency (+33%) but decreased with rain use efficiency trend (−22%). With higher rainfall, however, wealth decreased with rain use efficiency (−57%) and increased markedly with rain use efficiency trend (+185%). While ecosystem services are clearly important, their effect on rural poverty is complex and potentially obscured by coping strategies that mitigate environmental limitations.

Suggested Citation

  • Liebenow, Danielle King & Cohen, Matthew J. & Gumbricht, Thomas & Shepherd, Keith D. & Shepherd, Gemma, 2012. "Do ecosystem services influence household wealth in rural Mali?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 33-44.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:82:y:2012:i:c:p:33-44
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.08.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Suich, Helen & Howe, Caroline & Mace, Georgina, 2015. "Ecosystem services and poverty alleviation: A review of the empirical links," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 12(C), pages 137-147.
    2. Ballet, Jérôme & Marchand, Lucile & Pelenc, Jérôme & Vos, Robin, 2018. "Capabilities, Identity, Aspirations and Ecosystem Services: An Integrated Framework," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 21-28.
    3. Rana, Kartika & Goyal, Neha & Prakash Sharma, Gyan, 2018. "Staging stewards of agro-ecosystems in the ecosystem services framework," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 33(PA), pages 89-101.
    4. Zheng Zang & Yuqing Zhang & Xu Xi, 2022. "Analysis of the Gross Ecosystem Product—Gross Domestic Product Synergistic States, Evolutionary Process, and Their Regional Contribution to the Chinese Mainland," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-14, May.
    5. Fei Wang & Degang Yang & Changjian Wang & Xinhuan Zhang, 2015. "The Effect of Payments for Ecosystem Services Programs on the Relationship of Livelihood Capital and Livelihood Strategy among Rural Communities in Northwestern China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-21, July.
    6. Jing Zhang & Xueming Li & Tongliga Bao & Zhenghai Li & Chong Liu & Yuan Xu, 2021. "Linking Demographic Factors, Land Use, Ecosystem Services, and Human Well-Being: Insights from an Sandy Landscape, Uxin in Inner Mongolia, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, April.

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