Community Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Wetland Conservation in Bauchi State

This study examines the knowledge levels and attitudes of farming and fishing communities towards wetland conservation in Bauchi State, North East Nigeria. Bauchi State's seasonal floodplain wetlands and the permanent Gombe-Burra River system support extensive subsistence agriculture and fisheries, but these ecosystems face increasing pressures from drainage for cultivation, overgrazing, and sand extraction. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 240 community members across Darazo, Tafawa-Balewa, and Alkaleri Local Government Areas, covering areas with diverse livelihood dependencies on wetlands. The questionnaire assessed awareness of wetland ecological functions, perceptions of wetland condition change, conservation attitudes, and willingness to participate in management activities. A knowledge scoring rubric was developed to categorise respondents into high, medium, and low knowledge groups. Results show that community members consistently identify wetlands as important for fishing, dry-season farming, and water supply but are largely unaware of their roles in flood regulation, groundwater recharge, and carbon storage. Only 34 percent of respondents have awareness of any formal wetland conservation legislation. Attitudes towards conservation are generally positive, with 79 percent expressing willingness to participate in community-based management if provided with technical support. Young adults show significantly lower knowledge scores than older respondents, suggesting reduced intergenerational transfer of ecological knowledge. The study recommends integrating wetland environmental education into schools in wetland-adjacent communities and strengthening the Bauchi State Environmental and Natural Resources Agency's community liaison functions. Keywords: wetland conservation, community knowledge, Bauchi State, environmental attitudes, natural resource management.