Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services in Sahel's Wetlands: Case of Bourgou (Echinochloa stagnina) in the Inner Niger Delta

The Inner Niger Delta (IND) located in Mali provides several ecosystem services to Sahelian people. Among these services, the bourgou fields ( Echinochloa stagnina ) have a very high value for inhabitants' livelihood and biodiversity. The main objective of this study is to assess the economic value of bourgou ecosystem services in the IND. Specific objectives are to analyze ecosystem services from Echinochloa stagnina and the benefit-cost of its regeneration (plantation) in the IND. The adopted methodology is based on market price and benefit-cost approaches through analysis of collected data from conducted inhabitants' surveys in the circle of Youwarou located in Mali center. The findings show that each Bourgou producer farms on average 7 hectares that provide fish, pasture, livelihoods, and habitats for biodiversity as ecosystem services. The revenue received by bourgou producers with payment for access to pasture for 89,347 cattle is estimated at USD 150,674.78 (47,085,869 FCFA). The benefit of ecosystem services from bourgou is USD/ha 999.22 (312,257 FCFA/ha). To restore bourgou fields, 98.5% of producers are willing to pay USD 192.07 (60,023 FCFA) for it to improve seeds of 1 hectare cultivation. The bourgou culture is a green financing opportunity for income generation, ecosystem services restoration, and biodiversity conservation. Keywords: Bourgou, Biodiversity, Ecosystem services, Income, Inner Niger Delta DOI: 10.7176/JESD/14-17-03 Publication date: November 30 th 2023