The economics of biodiversity: the evolving agenda

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 721-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHARLES PERRINGS
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Biodiversity Science ◽  
Biodiversity Change ◽  
Change Climate ◽  
Harmful Species ◽  
Global Drivers ◽  
Biodiversity Decline

ABSTRACTThis paper assesses how the economics of biodiversity, as a field, has evolved in response to developments in biodiversity science and policy over the life of the journal,Environment and Development Economics. Several main trends in the economics of biodiversity are identified. First, biodiversity change has come to be analyzed largely through its impact on ecosystem services (in the sense of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment). Second, there has been a growing focus on factors that optimally lead to biodiversity decline, i.e., the benefits to be had from reducing the abundance of pests, predators, pathogens, and competitors. Third, increasing attention is being paid to two global drivers of biodiversity change, climate and global economic integration, and the effect they have on the distribution and abundance of both beneficial and harmful species. Fourth, there has been growing interest in the development of instruments to deal with the transboundary public good aspect of biodiversity, and in particular in the development of payments for ecosystem services. The paper identifies the influence of these trends on attempts to model the role of biodiversity in the production of goods and services.

Market Failures, the Environment, and Human Health

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karyn Morrissey
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Health Care Demand ◽  
Goods And Services

Knowledge of the important role that the environment plays in determining human health predates the modern public health era. However, the tendency to see health, disease, and their determinants as attributes of individuals rather than characteristics of communities meant that the role of the environment in human health was seldom accorded sufficient importance during much of the 20th century. Instead, research began to focus on specific risk factors that correlated with diseases of greatest concern, i.e., the non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, asthma, and diabetes. Many of these risk factors (e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption, and diet) were aspects of individual lifestyle and behaviors, freely chosen by the individual. Within this individual-centric framework of human health, the standard economic model for human health became primarily the Grossman model of health and health care demand. In this model, an individual’s health stock may be increased by investing in health (by consuming health services, for example) or decreased by endogenous (age) or exogenous (smoking) individual factors. Within this model, individuals used their available resources, their budget, to purchase goods and services that either increased or decreased their health stock. Grossman’s model provides a consumption-based approach to human health, where individuals purchase goods and services required to improve their individual health in the marketplace. Grossman’s model of health assumes that the goods and services required to optimize good health can be purchased through market-based interactions and that these goods and services are optimally priced—that the value of the goods and services are reflected in their price. In reality, many types of goods and services that are good for human health are not available to purchase, or if they are available they are undervalued in the free market. Across the environmental and health literature, these goods and services are, today, broadly referred to as “ecosystem services for human health.” However, the quasi-public good nature of ecosystem services for human health means that the private market will generate a suboptimal environment for both individual and public health outcomes. In the face of continued austerity and scarce public resources, understanding the role of the environment in human health may help to alleviate future health care demand by decreasing (or increasing) environmental risk (or benefits) associated with health outcomes. However, to take advantage of the role that the environment plays in human health requires a fundamental reorientation of public health policy and spending to include environmental considerations.

scholarly journals Grand challenges in biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research in the era of science–policy platforms require explicit consideration of feedbacks

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1960) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary I. O'Connor ◽  
Akira S. Mori ◽  
Andrew Gonzalez ◽  
Laura E. Dee ◽  
Michel Loreau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Activities ◽  
Essential Feature ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Biodiversity Science ◽  
Explicit Consideration ◽  
Biodiversity Change ◽  
Future Policy ◽  
Effective Use

Feedbacks are an essential feature of resilient socio-economic systems, yet the feedbacks between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing are not fully accounted for in global policy efforts that consider future scenarios for human activities and their consequences for nature. Failure to integrate feedbacks in our knowledge frameworks exacerbates uncertainty in future projections and potentially prevents us from realizing the full benefits of actions we can take to enhance sustainability. We identify six scientific research challenges that, if addressed, could allow future policy, conservation and monitoring efforts to quantitatively account for ecosystem and societal consequences of biodiversity change. Placing feedbacks prominently in our frameworks would lead to (i) coordinated observation of biodiversity change, ecosystem functions and human actions, (ii) joint experiment and observation programmes, (iii) more effective use of emerging technologies in biodiversity science and policy, and (iv) a more inclusive and integrated global community of biodiversity observers. To meet these challenges, we outline a five-point action plan for collaboration and connection among scientists and policymakers that emphasizes diversity, inclusion and open access. Efforts to protect biodiversity require the best possible scientific understanding of human activities, biodiversity trends, ecosystem functions and—critically—the feedbacks among them.

scholarly journals Biodiversity in the context of ecosystem services: the applied need for systems approaches

2012 ◽  
Vol 367 (1586) ◽  
pp. 191-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Norris
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Biological Organization ◽  
Systems Approaches ◽  
Biodiversity Change ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Species Specific

Recent evidence strongly suggests that biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation continue. How might a systems approach to ecology help us better understand and address these issues? Systems approaches play a very limited role in the science that underpins traditional biodiversity conservation, but could provide important insights into mechanisms that affect population growth. This potential is illustrated using data from a critically endangered bird population. Although species-specific insights have practical value, the main applied challenge for a systems approach is to help improve our understanding of the role of biodiversity in the context of ecosystem services (ES) and the associated values and benefits people derive from these services. This has profound implications for the way we conceptualize and address ecological problems. Instead of focusing directly on biodiversity, the important response variables become measures of values and benefits, ES or ecosystem processes. We then need to understand the sensitivity of these variables to biodiversity change relative to other abiotic or anthropogenic factors, which includes exploring the role of variability at different levels of biological organization. These issues are discussed using the recent UK National Ecosystems Assessment as a framework.

scholarly journals Interaction of wildlife research and forest management: The need for maturation of science and policy

1994 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 527-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Hanley
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Technical Knowledge ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
Advance Theory ◽  
Science To Management ◽  
Management Work

Foresters and wildlife biologists face new challenges and new expectations from society. They are expected to provide an increasingly wide variety of goods and services from ecosystems at the same time that natural systems are under increasing pressure from both environmental and economic forces. The challenge is very formidable and requires a significant increase in the efficiency of both research and management. It is particularly important that research and management work in concert to provide a scientific basis for management. The communication gap between research and management, however, is a serious impediment. It is primarily one of false expectations, and it needs to be reduced. A major gain in that reduction can be made by recognizing the distinctly different roles of research and management. The role of research is to improve our understanding of our world. The role of management is to incorporate that understanding into policy and action. There is a fundamental difference between the technical knowledge that is science and the technical tools that are required to apply science to management. The technical tools are part of management and often must go considerably beyond the limits of scientific rigour. Research is needed to advance theory. Greater technical expertise within management is needed for management to benefit most fully from science. A shift in expectations from research will help make research more productive in advancing science and will free management from its dependency on research for technical tools.

The issue of radioactive contamination in context of ecosystem services development

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 48-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Chobotko ◽  
L. Raychuk ◽  
I. McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
The State ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Type Region ◽  
State Register ◽  
Agrarian Policy ◽  
Literary Sources ◽  
Radiation Contamination ◽  
Logical Research

The aim of the article was to defi ne the role of the radioactive environment contamination in the formation of ecosystem services strategy. Methods. Monographic, systemic and structural, factor analysis, abstract and logical research methods have been used. The data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, materials of scientifi c researches, international materials and reports and other literary sources on the issues investigated have been used as an information base. Results. Retrospective analysis of sources and state of radioactive eco- systems contamination was conducted and the priority steps in developing the concept of ecosystem services in conditions of radiation contamination were found. Conclusions. The current socio-ecological paradigm of the transition from environmental use to environmental management should be refl ected in the relevant envi- ronmental management mechanisms. Currently, when assessing the state of ecosystem services in Ukraine and worldwide one must take into account the changes in food demand of residents of radioactively contaminated areas, the exploitation of radioactively safe ecosystems growth, their overload and degradation. All of this re- quires an inventory of ecosystem services by type, region, consumers, etc. and the formation of a state register of ecosystem services with a clear assignment of area of responsibility for appropriate natural ecosystems. This will help to make the economic evaluation of different ecosystem services and mechanisms of charges for ecosystem services.

Productive role of agroforestry system in context of ecosystem services in district Dir lower, Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Hayat ◽  
Tianshan Zha ◽  
Syed Moazzam Nizami ◽  
Saeed Gulzar ◽  
Alamgir Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Agroforestry System ◽  
Productive Role

History and Transport Policy

Transfers ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ueli Haefeli ◽  
Fritz Kobi ◽  
Ulrich Seewer
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Transport Policy ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Direct Knowledge ◽  
Academic System ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Policy And Planning ◽  
Policy Solutions ◽  
Do So

Based on analysis of two case studies in the Canton of Bern, this article examines the question of knowledge transfer from history to transport policy and planning in the recent past in Switzerland. It shows that for several reasons, direct knowledge transfer did not occur. In particular, historians have seldom become actively involved in transport planning and policy discourses, probably partly because the academic system offers no incentive to do so. However, historical knowledge has certainly influenced decision-making processes indirectly, via personal reflection of the actors in the world of practice or through Switzerland's strongly developed modes of political participation. Because the potential for knowledge transfer to contribute to better policy solutions has not been fully utilized, we recommend strengthening the role of existing interfaces between science and policy.

The role of standardization as a key Tool of Quality Economics in the development of integration of the Eurasian Economic Union

2019 ◽  
pp. 14-19
Author(s):  
V. V. Okrepilov ◽  
A. G. Gridasov
Keyword(s):  
Economic Integration ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Regulatory Framework ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Member States ◽  
Scientific Methods ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Eurasian Economic Union ◽  
Economic Union

The presented study examines the experience of forming a regulatory framework for the integration of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states through the example of standardization as one of the key tools of quality economics.Aim. The study analyzes the major solutions of the EAEU authorities and member countries aimed at increasing the role of standardization in the economic integration of the Union over five years of its existence.Tasks. The authors identify efficient methods for developing standardization for the integration of the EAEU states as well as the most problematic aspects in this field that need to be taken into account in the qualitative strengthening of the Union’s economy.Methods. This study uses general scientific methods of cognition to examine the activities of the EAEU authorities and member states aimed at creating a system for the economic integration of the Union during a period of its transition from separate national markets towards a single (common) market.Results. Over five years of operation in the field of stadardization, the Eurasian Economic Union has created the necessary organizational and legal framework to ensure the successful development of integration processes. The national legislation on standardization has been modernized with allowance for the harmonization of these laws. In the next five-six years, the development of international standards for 40 technical regulations is expected to be completed, which would create a regulatory framework for unhindered interaction between all participants of the single (common) EAEU market. Conclusions. The analysis of activities in the field of standardization reveals a sufficiently thought-out and coordinated policy of the EAEU states in creating the necessary conditions for overcoming legal and administrative barriers in the movement of goods and services within the common economic space of the EAEU.

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