Impact of Anthropogenic Activities on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities in the Upper Awash River, Dandi District, Oromia, Ethiopia

Anthropogenic activities are affecting the diversity and distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates within aquatic ecosystems. The study aims to evaluate long-term impact of anthropogenic activities on the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Upper Awash River. Water samples were gathered using composite sampling methods from four locations along the Upper Awash River and transported to the laboratory to evaluate physicochemical properties while benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled using standard kick-net methods. A total of 8,832 individuals belonging to nine taxa and 36 families (31 insect families and five non-insect families across nine orders) were identified. The community’s composition exhibited significant variation along with the anthropogenic related activities. Chironomidae (Diptera) predominantly occupied the highly affected stations accounting for 97.43% and 97.97% of individuals at stations IV and III, respectively, underscoring the rise of tolerant taxa in degraded areas. Anthropogenic activities also reduced diversity, family richness, EPT%, ETH-bios index, and average taxon scores, but increased dominance taxon. Stations IV (6.5) and III (5.8) indicated poor water quality index, whereas stations I (4.9) and II (4.3) reflected good ecological conditions. Overall, the findings exhibit strong anthropogenic effect on benthic macroinvertebrate communities and the river’s health and highlight the need for prolonged biological monitoring and ecological management of the Upper Awash River.