Ecosystem service-based approach for evaluating the effectiveness of nature-based solution in mitigating climate change and land degradation issues in a city region

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srikanta Sannigrahi ◽  
Bidroha Basu ◽  
Arunima Sarkar Basu ◽  
Francesco Pilla
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Urban Forestry ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
City Region ◽  
Economic Values

<p>Nature-based solutions (NBS) are the bundle of natural and ecological functions that are proven to be beneficial to address varied socio-ecological challenges at cities. The conceptual adaptation of NBS alternatives in managing leading issues such as climate change and its impact on community well-being, sustainable uses of natural resources, encouragement for using soft engineering approaches for nourishing synergic benefits of natural capitals, empowering population health and reducing disaster risk are increasing substantially over the past few decades. The other term Ecosystem Services (ESs) refers to the variety of supports and benefits that humans obtained from the natural environment, which add human well-fare and improve the overall socio-ecological status at cities. NBS alternatives include increase in green areas by urban forestry and plantation, preserving urban inland water bodies and wetlands, introducing sustainable, cost-efficient, and environment-friendly urban drainage and sewage systems, reducing the impervious surface cover by increasing green cover, etc. However, substantial evidence is required to understand the importance of NBS alternatives and its implication in producing various regulatory, provisioning, supporting, and cultural urban ecosystem services that collectively produce ranges of economic, social, and environmental supports and benefits. This study performs a thorough quantitative and qualitative assessment to explore the possibilities of adopting varied NBS alternatives to reduce environmental problems in a city and to quantify the economic values of different NBS alternatives using spatially explicit biophysical and economic valuation approaches. Two spatially explicit integrated models Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-off (InVEST) and Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to quantify the biophysical and economic values of different NBS alternatives and ESs in Dublin, Ireland. The outcome of the study could be a reference to the concerned stakeholders, decision-makers, urban planners, and land administrators for adopting suitable NBS alternatives in managing the uprising environmental and socioecological issues in a city region.</p>

scholarly journals Globalization and Biodiversity Conservation Problems: Polycentric REDD+ Solutions

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mwangi Githiru ◽  
Josephine Njambuya
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Great Chance ◽  
Free Rider Problem ◽  
The Face ◽  
Negative Impacts

Protected areas are considered the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation, but face multiple problems in delivering this core objective. The growing trend of framing biodiversity and protected area values in terms of ecosystem services and human well-being may not always lead to biodiversity conservation. Although globalization is often spoken about in terms of its adverse effects to the environment and biodiversity, it also heralds unprecedented and previously inaccessible opportunities linked to ecosystem services. Biodiversity and related ecosystem services are amongst the common goods hardest hit by globalization. Yet, interconnectedness between people, institutions, and governments offers a great chance for globalization to play a role in ameliorating some of the negative impacts. Employing a polycentric governance approach to overcome the free-rider problem of unsustainable use of common goods, we argue here that REDD+, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) climate change mitigation scheme, could be harnessed to boost biodiversity conservation in the face of increasing globalization, both within classic and novel protected areas. We believe this offers a timely example of how an increasingly globalized world connects hitherto isolated peoples, with the ability to channel feelings and forces for biodiversity conservation. Through the global voluntary carbon market, REDD+ can enable and empower, on the one hand, rural communities in developing countries contribute to mitigation of a global problem, and on the other, individuals or societies in the West to help save species they may never see, yet feel emotionally connected to.

scholarly journals Examining effects of climate change and land use dynamic on biophysical and economic values of ecosystem services of a natural reserve region

2020 ◽  
Vol 257 ◽  
pp. 120424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srikanta Sannigrahi ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
P.K. Joshi ◽  
Paul C. Sutton ◽  
Saskia Keesstra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Economic Values ◽  
Natural Reserve

scholarly journals Economic analysis of ecosystem based adaptation and engineering options: A case study from Udayapur, Nepal

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 35-42
Author(s):  
Dinesh Chandra Devkota ◽  
Kamal Thapa ◽  
Bhaskar Kharki
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
High Benefit ◽  
Adaptation Options

Ecosystem services are vital to our well-being as they directly or indirectly support our survival and quality of life. But, the growing impact of climate change diminishes the benefit from ecosystem services. Therefore, identifying possible applicable adaptation options are inevitable to reduce the effect of climate change. The present research is based on a case study of Ksedi River watershed, Ajgada Village in Udaypur district of Nepal. The study demonstrates the comparison between different options to deal with flood and make a sound decision, based on economic rationale for long-term benefits. The present study compares ecosystem based adaptation options with engineering options using cost benefit analysis in order to protect village from flooding. Through stakeholder and expert consultations, ecosystem based adaptation options and economic options that are feasible in the village and catchment to mitigate the floods were listed. Economic analysis of these options and the different combinations were done using cost benefit analysis. Analysis was carried out for each of the different combination of options. Focus on ecosystem based adaptation options provide high benefit to cost return in terms of avoided damages and considering engineering options efficient in flood and erosion control in initial stage in spite of its high cost. The study suggests that reforestation in upland forest areas; plantation along riverbed and management of rangeland should be prioritized. Similarly, preparation of flood model, flood height damage curve and flood vulnerable maps specific to the site will help decision makers to implement site specific adaptation options.

scholarly journals Ecosystem Service Modelling to Support Nature-Based Flood Water Management in the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 13549
Author(s):  
Nguyet Anh Dang ◽  
Rubianca Benavidez ◽  
Stephanie Anne Tomscha ◽  
Ho Nguyen ◽  
Dung Duc Tran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Mekong Delta ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Flood Mitigation ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Economic Values ◽  
Trade Offs

Deltas are among the most productive and diverse global ecosystems. However, these regions are highly vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change. Nature-based solutions (Nbs) have been increasingly adopted in many deltas to improve their resilience. Among decision support tools, assessment of ecosystem services (ES) through spatially explicit modelling plays an important role in advocating for Nbs. This study explores the use of the Land Utilisation and Capability Indicator (LUCI) model, a high-resolution model originally developed in temperate hill country regions, to map changes in multiple ecosystem services (ES), along with their synergies and trade-offs, between 2010 and 2018 in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). In so doing, this study contributes to the current knowledge in at least two aspects: high-resolution ES modelling in the VMD, and the combination of ES biophysical and economic values within the VMD to support Nbs implementation. To date, this is the highest resolution (5 by 5 m) ES modelling study ever conducted in the VMD, with ~1500 million elements generated per ES. In the process of trialling implementations of LUCI within the VMD’s unique environmental conditions and data contexts, we identify and suggest potential model enhancements to make the LUCI model more applicable to the VMD as well as other tropical deltaic regions. LUCI generated informative results in much of the VMD for the selected ES (flood mitigation, agriculture/aquaculture productivity, and climate regulation), but challenges arose around its application to a new agro-hydrological regime. To address these challenges, parameterising LUCI and reconceptualising some of the model’s mechanisms to specifically account for the productivity and flood mitigation capability of water-tolerant crops as well as flooding processes of deltaic regions will improve future ES modelling in tropical deltaic areas. The ES maps showed the spatial heterogeneity of ES across the VMD. Next, to at least somewhat account for the economic drivers which need to be considered alongside biophysical valuations for practical implementations of ES maps for nature-based solutions (Nbs) in the upstream VMD, economic values were assigned to different parcels using a benefit transfer approach. The spatially explicit ES economic value maps can inform the design of financing incentives for Nbs. The results and related work can be used to support the establishment of Nbs that ultimately contribute to the security of local farmers’ livelihoods and the sustainability of the VMD.

scholarly journals Spatial analysis, local people’s perception and economic valuation of wetland ecosystem services in the Usumacinta floodplain, Southern Mexico

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Camacho-Valdez ◽  
Andrea Saenz-Arroyo ◽  
Andrea Ghermandi ◽  
Dario A. Navarrete-Gutiérrez ◽  
Rocío Rodiles-Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Economic Valuation ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Biodiversity Indicators ◽  
Southern Mexico ◽  
Rural People ◽  
Wetland Ecosystems ◽  
Local Perception

The Usumacinta floodplain is an exceptional area for biodiversity with important ecosystem services for local people. The main objective of this paper was to estimate reference values and define local perceptions of ecosystem services provided by wetlands and overlapping them with spatially explicit socioeconomic and biodiversity indicators. We used the Usumacinta floodplain as an example of a territory where high dependence of rural people on ecosystem services is confronted with development projects that threat the flow of ecosystem services, thus affecting rural people well-being. With a combination of data from remote sensing, global databases of ecosystem service values, local perception of ecosystem services and socioeconomic and biodiversity richness indicators in a spatially explicit framework, we develop a policy-oriented approach for rapid assessment to manage wetlands and maintain people’s livelihoods. Regulating and provisioning services are identified as the most relevant ecosystem services in terms of their monetary value and local perceived importance. In a spatially explicit manner, this approach highlights the most valuable wetlands and identifies rural societies that are highly dependent on ecosystem services. Our approach can be replicated elsewhere and could provide valuable information for policymakers to design policies that can contribute to conserve wetland ecosystems where under threat of development.

Coconstruction of Ecosystem Services Management in Tribal Lands: Elicit Expert Opinion Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 487-499
Author(s):  
Alicia Azpeleta Tarancón ◽  
Yeon-Su Kim ◽  
Thora Padilla ◽  
Peter Z. Fulé ◽  
Andrew J. Sánchez Meador
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Tribal Lands ◽  
Mescalero Apache

AbstractThe Mescalero Apache Tribal Lands (MATL) provide a diverse range of ecosystem services, many of which are of fundamental importance for the Mescalero Apache Tribe’s well-being. Managing forests on MATL, especially under climate change, involves prioritizing certain ecosystem services. We used an iterative survey of experts’ opinions to identify those ecosystem services that 1) have high utility—services that the Tribe uses, or could use, and are obtained directly or indirectly from the MATL; 2) are irreplaceable—services that cannot be provided by any other natural resource; and 3) are under a high level of threat—services at risk of declining or being lost directly or indirectly by climate change and thus are critical for management. Both scientists and practitioners identified water and cultural services as management priorities. Management recommendations to mitigate and adapt to climate change effects include reintroduction of fire in the landscape, assisted migration, creation of age/size mosaics across the landscape, and incorporation of green energy. Incorporating human perspectives into natural resource management is a critical component to maintain and adapt social–ecological systems to climate change, especially for Indigenous communities with inherent rights of sovereignty who are deeply connected to natural resources. This study demonstrates how knowledge systems are complementary: diverse perspectives related to values and threats of ecosystems can be incorporated to coconstruct ecosystem management decisions.

Proposing a typology of nature-based solutions for strengthening resilience of Central Vietnamese cities – First findings from the GreenCityLabHue project

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Scheuer ◽  
Jessica Jache ◽  
Kora Rösler ◽  
Tran Tuan Anh ◽  
Nguyen Ngoc Tung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Urban Ecosystem Services ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Central Vietnam ◽  
The City

<p><em>Idea and Objectives:</em> This case study presents first findings of the GreenCityLabHue project. The project aims at implementing an urban learning lab in the city of Hue, Vietnam, for the participatory identification and implementation of innovative nature-based solutions for the protection and improvement of urban ecosystem services and climate change adaptation. We will present urgent environmental and societal challenges for the city of Hue, including the estimated impacts of climate change and resulting disaster risks. Subsequently, we will discuss elements of the green-blue infrastructure to tackle these risks in a sustainable and environmentally just manner in the context of a proposed typology of nature-based solutions. This typology specifically shifts the focus from a European perspective towards nature-based solutions that are locally relevant to strengthen the resilience of Hue and comparable cities in Central Vietnam and/or South-East Asia.</p><p><em>Background:</em> Vietnam is a country that faces multiple challenges. It is a country that experiences rapid urban growth, with an estimated 50% of citizens living in urban areas by 2030 up from 35%, resulting in urban expansion that necessitates safeguarding urban ecosystem services, e.g., for the protection of human health and human well-being. Vietnam is also heavily affected by climate change. Particularly in Central Vietnam, cities face increasing risks of flooding, storms, and temperature extremes.</p><p>By providing multifunctional ecosystem services and diverse benefits, nature-based solutions—and in particular green-blue infrastructure elements—may help to address the aforementioned environmental and societal challenges in a sustainable and integrative manner, e.g., for maintaining air quality, stormwater mitigation, climate regulation, and improving environmental equity.</p><p>Hue is the capital of the Thua Thien-Hue province, located in Central Vietnam on the banks of the Perfume River. It has a population of approximately half a million people, represents a touristic and educational hotspot, and is rated a “top priority city” by the Vietnamese government. In Hue, first steps that consider strengthening the green-blue infrastructure were devised in form of the Hue GrEEEn City Action Plan. However, a more holistic urban planning approach that also addresses challenges related to climate change is still lacking.</p>

scholarly journals Spatial conservation areas for water yield hydrological ecosystem services with their economic values effects under climate change: a case study of Teshio watershed located in northernmost of Japan

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 1679-1709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Fan ◽  
Daniel Ocloo Mawuko ◽  
Hideaki Shibata ◽  
Wei Ou
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Economic Values ◽  
Hydro Power

Abstract Water resources prioritization conservation planners are increasingly becoming aware of the economic value of water supply ecosystem services (ESs) under climate changes. Here we assessed how the water yield ES framework is implemented in the current spatial prioritization conservation of the water resources under climate change across the Teshio River watershed. We applied the systematic conservation model to optimize the area for water resources which satisfied the protection targets with and without considering economic values of the water yield provision service. The model indicated that the areas of spatial optimal ES protection for water yield with considering economic values were totally different from those without considering economic values of water resources. The optimal priority conservation areas were concentrated in southwestern, southeastern, and some northern areas of this watershed. These places could guarantee water resources sustainability from both environmental protection and socio-economic development standpoints. Moreover, the spatial priority conservation areas for water yield with economic value from hydro-power electricity production were traded off against the areas for water yield with economic values from resident water-use and irrigation for rice. Therefore, the systematic conservation planning of water yield with economic values under climate changes may provide a useful argument to promote the conservation of water resources.

scholarly journals Securing Biodiversity, Functional Integrity, and Ecosystem Services in Drying River Networks (DRYvER)

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thibault Datry ◽  
Daniel Allen ◽  
Roger Argelich ◽  
Jose Barquin ◽  
Nuria Bonada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
River Networks ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
The Usa

River networks are among Earth’s most threatened hot-spots of biodiversity and provide key ecosystem services (e.g., supply drinking water and food, climate regulation) essential to sustaining human well-being. Climate change and increased human water use are causing more rivers and streams to dry, with devastating impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Currently, more than a half of the global river networks consist of drying channels, and these are expanding dramatically. However, drying river networks (DRNs) have received little attention from scientists and policy makers, and the public is unaware of their importance. Consequently, there is no effective integrated biodiversity conservation or ecosystem management strategy of DRNs. A multidisciplinary team of 25 experts from 11 countries in Europe, South America, China and the USA will build on EU efforts to assess the cascading effects of climate change on biodiversity, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services of DRNs through changes in flow regimes and water use. DRYvER (DRYing riVER networks) will gather and upscale empirical and modelling data from nine focal DRNs (case studies) in Europe (EU) and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to develop a meta-system framework applicable to Europe and worldwide. It will also generate crucial knowledge-based strategies, tools and guidelines for economically-efficient adaptive management of DRNs. Working closely with stakeholders and end-users, DRYvER will co-develop strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts in DRNs, integrating hydrological, ecological (including nature-based solutions), socio-economic and policy perspectives. The end results of DRYvER will contribute to reaching the objectives of the Paris Agreement and placing Europe at the forefront of research on climate change.

scholarly journals Response of Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services to Climate Change in China: A Review

Ecologies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-331
Author(s):  
Haijiang Yang ◽  
Xiaohua Gou ◽  
Dingcai Yin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Natural Resource Management ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Impact

Climate change is having a significant impact on the global ecosystem and is likely to become increasingly important as this phenomenon intensifies. Numerous studies in climate change impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems, and ecosystem services in China have been published in recent decades. However, a comprehensive review of the topic is needed to provide an improved understanding of the history and driving mechanisms of environmental changes within the region. Here we review the evidence for changes in climate and the peer-reviewed literature that assesses climate change impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem, and ecosystem services at a China scale. Our main conclusions are as follows. (1) Most of the evidence shows that climate change (the increasing extreme events) is affecting the change of productivity, species interactions, and biological invasions, especially in the agro-pastoral transition zone and fragile ecological area in Northern China. (2) The individuals and populations respond to climate change through changes in behavior, functions, and geographic scope. (3) The impact of climate change on most types of services (provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural) in China is mainly negative and brings threats and challenges to human well-being and natural resource management, therefore, requiring costly societal adjustments. In general, although great progress has been made, the management strategies still need to be further improved. Integrating climate change into ecosystem services assessment and natural resource management is still a major challenge. Moving forward, it is necessary to evaluate and research the effectiveness of typical demonstration cases, which will contribute to better scientific management of natural resources in China and the world.

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