scholarly journals Public Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Invasive Forest Pest Prevention Programs in Urban Areas

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1056
Author(s):  
Damian C. Adams ◽  
José R. Soto ◽  
John Lai ◽  
Francisco J. Escobedo ◽  
Sergio Alvarez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Forest Pest ◽  
Forest Pests ◽  
Public Preferences ◽  
Invasive Pests

Invasive forest pests can cause environmental and economic damage amounting to billions of dollars (US) in lost revenues, restoration and response costs, and the loss of ecosystem services nationwide. Unfortunately, these forest pests do not stay confined to wildland forest areas and can spread into suburban and urban areas, imposing significant costs on local governments, homeowners, and management agencies. In this study, a contingent valuation experiment is used to estimate Florida residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) a monthly utility fee that would protect urban forests from invasive pests by implementing a monitoring and prevention program for their early detection and eradication. On average, the respondents are WTP US $5.44 per month to implement the surveillance program, revealing an aggregate WTP in the order of US $540 million per year. The results also reveal that respondents are sensitive to the scope of the program, with higher rates of participation and higher WTP for a program that is more effective at preventing forest pest invasions.

scholarly journals Assessment of Heatwave Vulnerability in Korea Considering Socio-economic Indices

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 39-47
Author(s):  
Dongwook Kim ◽  
Ji Eun Kim ◽  
Cho-Rok Jang ◽  
Moon-Yup Jang
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Equal Weight ◽  
Economic Indices ◽  
Vulnerability Framework ◽  
Weighting Methods

The rising heatwave occurrences in recent times due to climate change have resulted in increased mortalities and socio-economic damage. Consequently, several studies have been conducted to examine heatwave vulnerability in Korea. However, most of these studies used the IPCC vulnerability framework and weighting techniques, such as the equal weight and AHP methods, which lacked objectivity in the process of calculating vulnerability. This study employed socio-economic data to measure the heatwave vulnerability index for individual local governments in Korea using the principal component analysis and entropy weighting methods. These techniques ensure that the aggregation of proxies and the weighting process remain objective, unlike previous studies. According to the obtained results, rural areas such as Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, and Gyeongsangbuk-do, and relatively decrepit urban areas demonstrated high vulnerability scores. In addition, a positive correlation was found between the calculated vulnerability index and mortalities from the recent heatwaves. The heatwave vulnerability index developed in this study can therefore be used to form effective heatwave response policies suited to the conditions of each local government.

scholarly journals Paiement Pour Services Ecosystemiques, Instrument D’incitation Au Developpement Des Jardins Publics Et Prives Dans Les Communes De Cocody Et Du Plateau (Abidjan – Côte d’Ivoire)

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (26) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Yao Jean-Clovis Kouadio ◽  
Djakalia Ouattara ◽  
Marie-Solange Tiébré ◽  
Monssou Eugène Oulaïtar ◽  
Richard Nomel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Payments For Ecosystem Services ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Public Gardens ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Financial Subsidy

The public and private green spaces of the communes of Cocody and Plateau of Abidjan city are deteriorating because of lack of financial means for their maintenance. The overall objective of this study is to demonstrate the importance of payments for ecosystem services (PES) in their self-financing. To carry out this study, a survey was conducted among users of 3 public gardens in the Plateau and private garden owners in Cocody. It aimed to identify the willingness to pay (CAP) of users of public gardens for their management and to identify incentives for the creation of private gardens in their own concessions. Analysis of the data reveals a PAC in the form of visiting tax or voluntary donation ranging from 100 FCFA (0.15 €) to 2000 FCFA (3.07 €). Respondents who declare a visiting tax between 100 FCFA and 500 FCFA are the most numerous with a percentage of 92.95. Students, students and unemployed visitors are on the sidelines of visitors who refuse to pay for the management of public gardens. If we stick to the visit fees proposed by the majority of the interviewees, it would be possible to collect 79,800 FCFA (122.76 €) per day for 339,000 FCFA (521.53 €) for all 3 public gardens. With regard to the creation of private gardens, a financial subsidy mechanism could motivate the population. This study demonstrates that the introduction of payments for ecosystem services could be an incentive for the development of green spaces in urban areas.

scholarly journals Key factors to facilitate locally driven family planning programming: a qualitative analysis of urban stakeholder perspectives in Africa and Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Mwaikambo ◽  
Sarah Brittingham ◽  
Saori Ohkubo ◽  
Ruwaida Salem ◽  
Denis Joel Sama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Country Ownership

Abstract Background There has been greater recognition of the importance of country ownership in global health and development. However, operationalising country ownership to ensure the scale up and sustainability of proven interventions remains elusive at best. To address this challenge, we undertook a thematic analysis of interviews collected from representatives of local governments, public health systems, and communities in poor urban areas of East Africa, Francophone West Africa, India, and Nigeria, supported by The Challenge Initiative (TCI), aiming to rapidly and sustainably scale up evidence-based reproductive health and family planning solutions. Methods The main objective of this study was to explore critical elements needed for implementing and scaling evidence-based family planning interventions. The research team conducted thematic analysis of 96 stories collected using the Most Significant Change (MSC) technique between July 2018 and September 2019. After generating 55 unique codes, the codes were grouped into related themes, using TCI’s model as a general analytical framework. Results Five key themes emerged: (1) strengthening local capacity and improving broader health systems, (2) shifting mindsets of government and community toward local ownership, (3) institutionalising the interventions within existing government structures, (4) improving data demand and use for better planning of health services, and (5) enhancing coordination of partners. Conclusion While some themes feature more prominently in a particular region than others, taken together they represent what stakeholders perceive to be essential elements for scaling up locally-driven health programmes in urban areas in Africa and Asia.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Equity and Regional Management of Some Urban Green Space Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of Main Urban Area of Xi’an City

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 813
Author(s):  
Hui Dang ◽  
Jing Li ◽  
Yumeng Zhang ◽  
Zixiang Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Deposition Flux ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Xi’An City

Urban green spaces can provide many types of ecosystem services for residents. An imbalance in the pattern of green spaces leads to an inequality of the benefits of such spaces. Given the current situation of environmental problems and the basic geographical conditions of Xi’an City, this study evaluated and mapped four kinds of ecosystem services from the perspective of equity: biodiversity, carbon sequestration, air purification, and climate regulation. Regionalization with dynamically constrained agglomerative clustering and partitioning (REDCAP) was used to obtain the partition groups of ecosystem services. The results indicate that first, the complexity of the urban green space community is low, and the level of biodiversity needs to be improved. The dry deposition flux of particulate matter (PM2.5) decreases from north to south, and green spaces enhance the adsorption of PM2.5. Carbon sequestration in the south and east is higher than that in the north and west, respectively. The average surface temperature in green spaces is lower than that in other urban areas. Second, urban green space resources in the study area are unevenly distributed. Therefore, ecosystem services in different areas are inequitable. Finally, based on the regionalization of integrated ecosystem services, an ecosystem services cluster was developed. This included 913 grid spaces, 12 partitions, and 5 clusters, which can provide a reference for distinct levels of ecosystem services management. This can assist urban managers who can use these indicators of ecosystem service levels for planning and guiding the overall development pattern of green spaces. The benefits would be a maximization of the ecological functions of green spaces, an improvement of the sustainable development of the city, and an improvement of people’s well-being.

scholarly journals Cost-efficient factors in local public spending: Detecting relationships between local environments, population size and urban area category

2021 ◽  
pp. 239980832110038
Author(s):  
Hiroki Baba ◽  
Yasushi Asami
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Public Spending ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Environment Factors ◽  
Major Factors

This study examines regional differences in local environment factors to better understand the sustainability of local governments indexed by per capita public spending. Under the condition of heterogeneous population size, we examine how factor characteristics differ depending on the spatial context represented by the urban area category. By employing a Cobb–Douglas cost function with congestion effects on public service provision, the estimated factors enable us to articulate major factors and differences in cost-efficiency between urban area categories. We found that statistical significance and even the signatures of local environment factors differ depending on the urban employment area category. Regarding factors such as the ratios of employees in secondary and tertiary industries, these did not tend to be statistically significant in small-sized urban areas, while small-sized cities in large-sized urban areas were likely to gain confidence intervals. Moreover, we did not observe any statistical significance for the ratio of elderly people due to the balance of spending between national and local governments. These findings could contribute to sustainable management of cities in the advent of population decline.

scholarly journals Identifying key processes and sectors in the interaction between climate and socio-economic systems: a review toward integrating Earth–human systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaoru Tachiiri ◽  
Xuanming Su ◽  
Ken’ichi Matsumoto
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Gross Domestic Product ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
The Other ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Economic Systems ◽  
The Impact

AbstractFor the purpose of identifying the key processes and sectors involved in the interaction between Earth and socio-economic systems, we review existing studies on those processes/sectors through which the climate impacts socio-economic systems, which then in turn affect the climate. For each process/sector, we review the direct physical and ecological impacts and, if available, the impact on the economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Based on this review, land sector is identified as the process with the most significant impact on GHG emissions, while labor productivity has the largest impact on the gross domestic product (GDP). On the other hand, the energy sector, due to the increase in the demand for cooling, will have increased GHG emissions. Water resources, sea level rise, natural disasters, ecosystem services, and diseases also show the potential to have a significant influence on GHG emissions and GDP, although for most of these, a large effect was reported only by a limited number of studies. As a result, more studies are required to verify their influence in terms of feedbacks to the climate. In addition, although the economic damage arising from migration and conflict is uncertain, they should be treated as potentially damaging processes.

scholarly journals Community Perceptions and Knowledge of Modern Stormwater Treatment Assets

Urban Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Hadi Zamanifard ◽  
Edward A. Morgan ◽  
Wade L. Hadwen
Keyword(s):  
Urban Design ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Urban Runoff ◽  
Community Perceptions ◽  
Stormwater Treatment ◽  
Runoff Water ◽  
Community Acceptance ◽  
Water Sensitive Urban Design

Modern stormwater treatment assets are a form of water sensitive urban design (WSUD) features that aim to reduce the volumes of sediment, nutrients and gross pollutants discharged into receiving waterways. Local governments and developers in urban areas are installing and maintaining a large number of stormwater treatment assets, with the aim of improving urban runoff water quality. Many of these assets take up significant urban space and are highly visible and as a result, community acceptance is essential for effective WSUD design and implementation. However, community perceptions and knowledge about these assets have not been widely studied. This study used a survey to investigate community perceptions and knowledge about stormwater treatment assets in Brisbane, Australia. The results suggest that there is limited community knowledge of these assets, but that communities notice them and value their natural features when well-maintained. This study suggests that local governments may be able to better inform residents about the importance of these assets, and that designing for multiple purposes may improve community acceptance and support for the use of Council funds to maintain them.

scholarly journals Evaluating Landscape Attractiveness with Geospatial Data, a Case Study in Flanders, Belgium

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 703
Author(s):  
Astrid Vannoppen ◽  
Jeroen Degerickx ◽  
Anne Gobin
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Geospatial Data ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Landscape Indicators ◽  
Landscape Characteristics ◽  
Landscape Quality

Attractive landscapes are diverse and resilient landscapes that provide a multitude of essential ecosystem services. The development of landscape policy to protect and improve landscape attractiveness, thereby ensuring the provision of ecosystem services, is ideally adapted to region specific landscape characteristics. In addition, trends in landscape attractiveness may be linked to certain policies, or the absence of policies over time. A spatial and temporal evaluation of landscape attractiveness is thus desirable for landscape policy development. In this paper, landscape attractiveness was spatially evaluated for Flanders (Belgium) using landscape indicators derived from geospatial data as a case study. Large local differences in landscape quality in (i) rural versus urban areas and (ii) between the seven agricultural regions in Flanders were found. This observed spatial variability in landscape attractiveness demonstrated that a localized approach, considering the geophysical characteristics of each individual region, would be required in the development of landscape policy to improve landscape quality in Flanders. Some trends in landscape attractiveness were related to agriculture in Flanders, e.g., a slight decrease in total agricultural area, decrease in dominance of grassland, maize and cereals, a decrease in crop diversity, sharp increase in the adoption of agri-environmental agreements (AEA) and a decrease in bare soil conditions in winter. The observed trends and spatial variation in landscape attractiveness can be used as a tool to support policy analysis, assess the potential effects of future policy plans, identify policy gaps and evaluate past landscape policy.

scholarly journals Urban agriculture: local government stakeholders’ perspectives and informational needs

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Catherine G. Campbell ◽  
Shelli D. Rampold
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
University Of Florida ◽  
Public Issues ◽  
Subjective Knowledge ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Study Support

Abstract In many US states, the power to regulate urban agriculture (UA) rests in local governments. Although there has been increased interest in UA, some local governments have been slow to adopt policies or ordinances to foster food production in urban areas or have actively sought to limit UA in their municipalities. To learn more about the disconnect between resident interest and local government policy, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension and Center for Public Issues Education conducted a statewide survey of local government stakeholders (LGS) to assess their attitudes toward UA, subjective knowledge of UA, perceived benefits of and barriers to the implementation of UA and educational needs. Responses were collected using 5-point semantic differential and Likert-type scales. Overall, respondents displayed positive attitudes and moderate knowledge of UA, and they identified a number of benefits of and barriers to implementing UA in their communities. The findings of this study support the hypothesis that lack of basic knowledge about UA is one difficulty in fostering UA. Despite being positively disposed toward UA, LGS may not fully understand how to effectively develop and implement policies to foster UA. This finding may also help explain reluctance to adopt local government policies to support UA. Efforts to provide LGS key information and enhance their knowledge of UA may support the development of UA activities.

scholarly journals Voluntary Sustainability Certification and State Regulations: Paths to Promote the Conservation of Ecosystem Services? Experiences in Indonesia

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 503
Author(s):  
Intan Kurniati Ningsih ◽  
Verina Ingram ◽  
Sini Savilaakso
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
State Regulations ◽  
Certification Standard ◽  
Voluntary Certification ◽  
Market Driven ◽  
Forest Stewardship ◽  
The Impact

The Forest Stewardship Council initiated a Forest Certification for Ecosystem Services (ForCES) project from 2011 to 2017 to improve and promote sustainable forest management addressing a range of ecosystem services. Three sites in Indonesia were included in the pilot. Whilst the development of the certification standard was largely the result of a partnership between the certification standard organization, civil society and research organizations, implementation and monitoring of the impact of this sustainability standard will entail interactions with state regulations. This study examined how voluntary certification, other market-based approaches and state regulations concerning ecosystem services in Indonesia interplay, particularly in the agenda setting and negotiation stage. Using the conceptual lenses of transition theory and state and non-state market-based governance, interrelationships between ecosystem services certification and regulations were found to be complementary and antagonistic. The majority of interrelations were complementary and supporting. However, antagonism exists where regulations do not address multiple land uses and when there are contradictions in how state regulations define ecosystem services. There was limited state involvement in developing the ecosystem services certification standard, with no substitution between the voluntary standard and regulations occurring. To scale and transition this innovatory standard from a niche to a sociotechnical regime level, it is recommended that market-driven governance arrangements at farm, forest concession and landscape level are developed in collaboration with national and local governments. Collaboration can create synergies to incentivize the acceptance, adoption and effectiveness of non-state market driven instruments to positively enhance the conservation of ecosystem services.

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