Water Quality Bioindicator Data and Field Guide in Burkina Faso, 2017-2019

Research indicates certain fish, macroinvertebrates and zooplankton can be used as simple bioindicators to monitor reservoir water quality. As part of the POP-BF project, we analysed the variation in abundance and richness of fish, macroinvertebrate and zooplankton communities with changes in water quality. Seventeen species of zooplankton were found in Bidiga reservoir and the highest species richness was observed in the months of September (13), November (14) and December (12). In Ladwenda reservoir, 19 species of zooplankton were encountered and the highest specific richness was observed in the months of May (13), September (13), November (11) and December (11). Sensitive taxa of macroinvertebrate encountered at Bidida reservoirs were: Polymitarcydea, Hydropsychydae, Caenidae and Baetidae. Their presence was noted from the month of October when the rains quantity was decreasing, and the aquatic environment was stabilizing (low conductivity: 0,04 mS/cm). Tolerant species such as Hirudinae and Chironomidae were more abundant in the month of May coinciding with the end of the dry season and the beginning of the rainy season (high conductivity: 0,27mS/cm, around 7 times the value in rainy season). At this time, the water levels were very low, and the living conditions become difficult for many species. In total, 11 species of fish were encountered in the Bidiga reservoir and nine in Ladwenda reservoir.
We provide here the water quality data and counts of individual fish and macroinvertebrate species identified at each sampling point, and a field guide compiled for local communities explaining which fish and macroinvertebrate species are likely to indicate high or low water quality, and how to find and identify these species.<p>Effective community-based management of common pool resources (CPR) in contexts facing environmental degradation and social conflict is urgently required to sustainably move people worldwide towards a decent level of human well-being, as sought in the Sustainable Development Goals. In the seasonally dry tropics, water stored in reservoirs. co-managed by communities and state water management agencies, can transform the lives of people in areas of persistent poverty by providing dry season income and food security through fish, livestock and crop production. Yet the inequitable distribution of water and other agricultural resources leads to stark inequalities in costs and benefits of reservoirs among households and communities.
This project will convene stakeholders around two reservoirs in Boulgou province, Burkina Faso, through 'Innovation Platforms' (IPs) that provide spaces for face-to-face learning, exchange and negotiation. Through the IPs, differentiated stakeholders with conflicts of interests related to reservoirs will identify, compare and implement community-driven innovations to make management of and access to land, water and associated benefits more equitable and sustainable. In collaboration with local communities and water management institutes, we will co- design and test locally relevant indicators and novel data collection techniques to establish a reliable, locally owned reservoir resource monitoring system. Students, extension workers and government technicians will be trained on automatic weather stations, mobile phone based surveys, and easily measured indicators of soil and water quality. The project will fill gaps in knowledge regarding factors and approaches that enable the resolution of conflicts related to the management of CPR and the development of participatory monitoring systems. Academic beneficiaries include scientists working on participatory approaches, conflict resolution, social equity, and CPR management.</p>

研究表明，部分鱼类、大型无脊椎动物（macroinvertebrates）与浮游动物（zooplankton）可作为简易生物指示剂（bioindicators），用于水库水质监测。作为POP-BF项目的组成部分，本研究分析了鱼类、大型无脊椎动物及浮游动物群落的丰度与物种丰富度随水质变化的规律。在比迪加水库（Bidiga reservoir）中共记录到17种浮游动物，物种丰富度最高的时段为9月（13种）、11月（14种）与12月（12种）。在拉德文达水库（Ladwenda reservoir）则记录到19种浮游动物，物种丰富度最高的时段为5月（13种）、9月（13种）、11月（11种）与12月（11种）。在比迪达水库（Bidida reservoirs）中发现的敏感型大型无脊椎动物类群为：Polymitarcydea、Hydropsychydae、Caenidae及Baetidae。该类群于10月首次被记录，此时降雨量逐渐减少，水生环境趋于稳定（电导率较低：0.04 mS/cm）。而Hirudinae、Chironomidae等耐污类群在5月丰度最高，此时正值旱季末期与雨季初期（电导率较高：0.27 mS/cm，约为雨季时段的7倍）。此阶段水库水位极低，多数物种的生存条件趋于恶劣。整体而言，比迪加水库共记录到11种鱼类，拉德文达水库则记录到9种鱼类。
本数据集包含各采样点的水质数据、鱼类及大型无脊椎动物各物种的个体计数结果，同时附带一份为本地社区编制的野外指南，用于说明哪些鱼类与大型无脊椎动物类群可指示水质优劣，以及如何查找与识别这些物种。

在面临环境退化与社会冲突的背景下，亟需对公共池资源（Common Pool Resources, CPR）实施有效的社区化管理，以如可持续发展目标（Sustainable Development Goals）所倡议的那样，助力全球民众可持续地迈向体面的人类福祉水平。在季节性干旱热带地区，由社区与国家水利管理机构共同管护的水库蓄水，可通过渔业、畜牧业与种植业为旱季创收并保障粮食安全，从而切实改善长期贫困地区民众的生活。然而，水资源与其他农业资源分配不均，导致不同家庭与社区在水库管护的成本与收益方面存在显著失衡。
本项目将通过创新平台（Innovation Platforms, IPs）——为面对面学习、交流与协商提供专属空间——汇聚布基纳法索布尔古省（Boulgou province）两座水库的利益相关方。借助创新平台，与水库管护存在利益冲突的差异化利益相关方将共同识别、比对并落地社区主导的创新举措，以提升土地、水资源及相关收益的管理与分配公平性与可持续性。本项目将联合本地社区与水利管理机构，共同设计并测试适配本地的指标体系与新型数据采集技术，以构建一套可靠且由本地主导的水库资源监测系统。项目将针对学生、农技推广人员与政府技术人员开展培训，内容涵盖自动气象站运维、手机端调查方法以及易于测定的土壤与水质指标。本项目将填补相关知识空白，助力明确解决公共池资源管护冲突的关键因素与可行路径，并推动参与式监测系统的开发。本项目的学术受益方包括从事参与式方法、冲突解决、社会公平及公共池资源管护研究的科研人员。