Community awareness and perceived ecosystem services of urban green infrastructure in Bishoftu, Ethiopia

Rapid urbanization in Ethiopia is placing increasing pressure on urban green infrastructure and the ecosystem services they provide, yet empirical evidence on community awareness in secondary cities remains limited. This study examined community awareness, perceived importance, and observed changes in ecosystem services associated with urban green infrastructure (UGI) in Bishoftu Town using a mixed-methods approach. A total of 383 households were surveyed through stratified random sampling, complemented by key informant interviews, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, inferential tests, and thematic analysis. The findings reveal a clear hierarchy in ecosystem service awareness, with cultural services ranked highest (mean = 3.85), followed by regulating (3.28), provisioning (2.9), and supporting services (1.5). Recreation (4.6) and aesthetic value (4.3) were most recognized, while nutrient cycling (1.2) and soil formation (1.4) were least understood. Perceived importance showed a similar pattern, with cultural services most valued (3.8). Pairwise comparisons indicated strong preferences for cultural services over regulating (82%), provisioning (70%), and supporting (85%) services. Most respondents perceived a decline in the extent and quality of urban green spaces over the past decade, alongside reductions in key regulating services including air quality improvement, flood regulation, and temperature moderation. Regression analysis identified education (β = 0.18, p = .001) and proximity to green space (β = 0.14, p = .011) as significant predictors of awareness, while gender and home ownership were not significant. The results highlight critical awareness gaps in regulating and supporting services and emphasize the need for participatory, multifunctional, and policy-driven approaches to sustainable UGI management.