Impact of wind energy development on birds and bats: the case of Adama wind farm, Central Ethiopia

Abstract

Background In contrast to wind farm collision, birds and bats were understudied and their occurrence and function were poorly understood. Here, study on mortality of iconic bird and bat species were conducted on Adama I and II wind farms during wet (August 2018) and dry (March 2019) seasons. Materials and methods The methodology employed carcass searches using direct physical inspections, semi-structured interviews (n = 50), and focus group discussions of wind farm officials and farmers around Adama I and II wind farms. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentages, and chi-square test were employed to analyze the surveyed data. Result The result suggested 51 (78.43%) carcass of bird species comprising 11 families. Out of the 125 installed operational turbines, about 35 species of birds were found in 11 families; 27 unidentified molted carcasses of species of birds were significantly impacted with Adama I and II wind farms. In addition, 11 unidentified species of bat were observed as collision victims. Conclusion Wind farm establishment and expansion in areas with concentrations of the sensitive species had been avoided. To focus on conservation efforts, we illustrate how knowledge of the structural and environmental factors that influence bird and bat collision can be used to record fatalities in the broader landscape. In order to minimize the mortality rate of birds and bats from collision, a comprehensive environmental impact assessment should be undertaken as precautionary measures.

Global Review on Environmental Impacts of Onshore Wind Energy and Their Implications for Forest Ecosystems

“…Birds and bats suffer from lethal and sublethal injuries in WFs due to collision with WT components and associated infrastructure, electrocution at transmission lines (giant birds), or barotrauma (bats) caused by a sudden pressure drop near the turbine edges [34,58,71,126,139].…”

“…The species' characteristics and behavior strongly determine whether they collide with WF structures. The activity of birds and bats, particularly at rotor height [58], positively correlates with fatality rates [19,118,119,139]. Differences in collision risk between species result from ecological and morphological factors [57,80].…”

Environmental impact and waste recycling technologies for modern wind turbines: An overview

“…In such a situation, it is vital to understand the influence of a windmill farm on the environment. Birds are said to be one of the most common victims of wind turbine deaths worldwide ( Tesfahunegny et al, 2020 ). Birds get injured by hitting turbine blades, which proves fatal.…”

Diversity and relative abundance of bird species in the two habitat types of Dokima forest Awi zone, Ethiopia

“…Due to Ethiopia’s topography, altitude and climate diversity, it is one of the few countries in the world with a high level of avian biodiversity [ 31 ]. One of Ethiopia’s main reasons for its biodiversity richness is the imposing difference in altitude between Ras Dashen (4620 m above sea level) and Afar Depression (126 m below sea level) [ 32 ].There are 881 bird species in Ethiopia, including 19 endemics, 14 other bird species are shared with Eritrea, 31 globally threatened species, and one introduced species [ 33 , 34 ]. Some birds have cultural values in Ethiopia, for instance Hornbill is a culturally significant bird species to the Oromo society where proverbs related to the species are used in constructing healthy social relationships [ 35 ].…”