Impact of environmental change on the indigenous belief system of the Bayso Community of Gidicho Island, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract The environment and human existence are inextricably intertwined. Consequently, alterations in the environment’s natural characteristics can lead to severe resource shortages. This affects the institutions that have been crucial in shaping and guiding human lives and preserving the environment’s richness, as well as the endeavours of communities to sustain their livelihoods. This article examines the impact of environmental change on the indigenous belief system of the Bayso community of Gidicho Island, southern Ethiopia. Ethnographic data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, observation, and photographs. The results showed that environmental change on Gidicho Island and its environs has disrupted the socio-economic and cultural life of the Bayso, essentially their religious rituals. Thus, we advise the federal government to amend the country’s development policies that exacerbate environmental degradation and intervene to reduce the effects of poverty on the resource-use behaviours of its people.