ABSTRACT
The outbreak of he COVID-19 pandemic has a multitude of impacts on human life and the systems associated with it. The global pandemic has affected industries, businesses, and local transactions. Along with this, it has impacted essential ecosystem services and disconnected the nexus between the environment and humans. This was more visible in protected areas in particular, including, nature reserves, wilderness areas, community conserved areas, and national parks. These are high-value areas with natural, ecological, and cultural significance. At the same time, it has pushed the protected area-dependent community to become vulnerable in many places. This explorative study is undertaken to highlight the impact of COVID-19 on the cultural ecosystem services nexus and its vulnerable components by taking Simien Mountains National Park into consideration. Qualitative information were collected through telephonic interviews in the local language and decoded into English. The need to address and restore the cultural ecosystem services in the destination is studied from the perspectives of (i) the framework of cultural ecosystem nexus, (ii) cultural ecosystem services offered and associated human elements with the park, (iii) priority cultural ecosystem services preferred by tourists, (iv) vulnerable components and associated impacts due to the pandemic, and (v) recommendations for future sustainability and policy implications. The result reveals that in the short term, the global travel restrictions and lockdown regulations have severely impacted local people’s ability to access benefits from the park. Particularly, recreation, aesthetics, and education as priority cultural ecosystem services were disconnected as part of the nexus. This resulted in the loss of jobs, occupations, and incomes for the park-dependent local stakeholders. Further, it has put a pause on the ongoing conservation initiatives and developed a threat to the natural resources of the park. The global pandemic has underscored the interconnectedness and interdependences between people and the ecosystem, which must be considered in the policy domain and practice level for the resilience of park-dependent stakeholders and future sustainability.
