Investments to promote sustainable land-use within critical river catchment areas are often undertaken to provide benefits to society. Investments generally aim to protect or restore ecological infrastructure—the underlying framework of ecosystems, functions and processes that supply ecosystem services—for multiple benefits to society. However, the empirical evidence base from studies across the world on both mechanisms and outcomes to support these assumptions is limited. We collate evidence on the benefits of ecological infrastructure interventions, in terms of ecosystem services provided to society, from three major South African water-providing catchments using a novel framework. In these catchments, millions of US Dollars' worth of investments have been made into ecological infrastructure since 1996. We ask the question: is there evidence that ecological infrastructure interventions are delivering the proposed benefits? Results show that even in catchments with substantial, long-term financial investment into ecological infrastructure, research has not empirically confirmed the benefits. Better baseline data collection is required, and monitoring during and after ecological infrastructure interventions, to quantify benefits to society. This evidence is needed to leverage investment into ecological infrastructure interventions at scale. Investment at scale is needed to transition to more sustainable land-use to unlock greater benefits to nature and people.
The essence and significance of public-private partnership (PPP) are disclosed, its forms and role as the key tool for solving important problems of balanced economic development are highlighted due to the involvement in the implementation of strategies of private operators. Defined forms of cooperation aimed at organizing interaction under the «business-government-community» scheme, the classification of PPP types is described, its forms and significance are analyzed in the system of providing of natural and technological and environmental safety on the basis of preventive safety. The promotion of the partnership mechanism in preserving and developing the ecological infrastructure is disclosed. The use of PPP as a mechanism for attracting investment projects to financial resources, redistributing risks and strengthening the responsibility of PPP parties for the implementation of investment projects is shown.
Benefits of water-related ecological infrastructure investments to support sustainable land-use: a review of evidence from critically water-stressed catchments in South Africa
