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Despite the fact that rice was only recently brought to Ethiopia, the Ethiopian government has dubbed it the “millennium crop” because of its importance as a food security crop, as well as a source of revenue and job possibilities. Rice production is being practiced on wetland areas and floodplains; however, no attention has been given to the sustainability of these wetlands, or to the integration of different previous indigenous activities, such as livestock rearing and farming of different crops in the area. This study aims to investigate the impact of rice expansion on traditional wetland management in the Fogera floodplain wetlands of the Lake Tana basin. Data were generated via interviews and the application of GIS and remote sensing. The survey questionnaire was administered to 385 rice-producing farmers. The respondents (87%) confirmed that increases in the price of rice encouraged them to shift from the cultivation of conventional crops to rice farming. Subsequently, between the years 1973 and 2014, wetland areas have been reduced from 3114 ha to 1060 ha, accompanied by a high rate of expansion in rice production in the area. Major activities being pursued in the wetlands of the study area do not consider environmental impacts. As a result, the diverse ecosystem services available in the past have been compromised through time. Sense of ownership of wetland resources and their benefit shall be communicated to reduce abusive utilization. Therefore, the policies, strategies, and development activities implementation need to consider environmental issues in rice production enhancement endeavors. Full article

More than half of the world’s population consumes rice. Recently, the area sown with modern rice varieties has expanded, and the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has increased in various countries. Wetland hydrology is also influenced by chemical and physical characteristics. Hence, this research focused on temporal and spatial changes in crop patterns, input usage, and hydrology in the Ethiopian Fogera floodplain, with the following objectives: (a) What are the spatial and temporal trends in crop production patterns? (b) What input changes have occurred to produce rice and other crops? (c) What hydrological changes have occurred in the area with intensification of production systems? Primary data were gathered through a questionnaire, focus group discussions, interviews, and field observations. Secondary data were obtained from Landsat imageries, the SWAT model, water flow measurements, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). NDVI results indicated that the area cultivated for rice is increasing while the area of other crops is decreasing. Agricultural inputs are used in rice systems but were not used before the introduction of rice. Recession farming activities have also diminished wetland areas. Water flow showed a decrease, whereas Nitrogen and Phosphorus showed an increase with Pearson’s correlation values −0.069 and −0.072, respectively. Flow of water was negatively correlated with N and P water concentration, whereas N and P contents were positively correlated. In conclusion, growth of intensive rice systems has had negative environmental consequences on wetland ecology. Therefore, policies to regulate and manage wetland uses are recommended. Full article