Role of Education and resource benefit can affect people perception towards the largest freshwater lake of Odisha, India

Ansupa is the largest freshwater lake of Odisha that is significant for its biodiversity and provisioning services. In the light of its wide range of social and economic benefits and many effects on human wellbeing the present communication attempts to determine local stakeholder’s dependency or resource use, knowledge, and perception towards this wetland. The survey found that people living on the fringes of the lake are either directly or indirectly dependent on it, regardless of their caste or economic status, and that nearly 40% of the respondents rely completely on the lake for their livelihoods. Irrigation, pisciculture, non-timber forest products, and fodder are just some of the economic benefits derived from the lake. In this context the findings of the study highlights a substantial link between dependency, benefits, and education in influencing local residents’ perceptions of the lake. Further, our study could be useful to the society in terms of Ansupa lake conservation and management planning, as well as to the local government in involving locals in lake conservation initiatives and decision-making processes.