Ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation Historical perspective

Philippe MERALGEESCAM Project

coordinator

Symposium on Biodiversity & Health 17-18th November 2014 Phnom Penh

Malyne NEANGDirector of Ecoland

Research Centre

Outline

1. Introductive remarks 2. Some definitions3. Historical background4. Recent trends and grey zones5. Conclusion

1. Introductive remarks

• Ecosystem Service is a new concept (but an old idea) provided by researchers and international institutions in 2000’s.

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Scopus Wos

Years

number of articles

1. Introductive remarks

• Ecosystem Service is a new concept (but an old idea) provided by researchers and international institutions in 2000’s.

1. Introductive remarks

• This is a top-down concept– Mainly used by conservationnists – economists – Mainstreaming in other sectors (rural development, land

management, health…) is not obvious

• Its usefulness is not yet clear– The aim was to create an global awareness of biodiversity

erosion – First stage of application / applying this concept in public policy

is a key challenge– Some controversies still remain

• Clarifying the concept (strength and weakness)

2. Some definitionsWhat are Ecosystem Services?

Ecosystem Services are the conditions and processes through which natural ecosystems, and the species that make them up, sustain and fulfil human life — Daily (1997).

Ecosystem Services are the benefits human populations derive, directly or indirectly, from ecosystem functions — Costanza et al.(1997).

Ecosystem Services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems — MA 2005.

Ecosystem Services are components of nature, directly enjoyed, consumed, or used to yield human well-being — Boyd and Banzhaf(2007).

Ecosystem Services are the aspects of ecosystems utilised (actively or passively) to produce human well-being— Fisher et al.(2009).

Ecosystem Services are the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human well-being—TEEB Foundations (2010).

(source: Braat et de Groot, 2012, p.5)

2. Some definitions

Bibliometric analysis of ES. Number of scientific papers (Web Of Science + Science Direct) dealing with

ES (in their title, abstract or keywords) classified by ecosystems studied

19911992

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20012002

20032004

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20092010

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ForestCoastalMarineDrylandSoilMountainGrasslandOcean

3. Historical background

1970 1997

Costanza et al.Daily

2005

MAPES

Emergence

Media coverage

Policy

3. Historical background Emergence phase

• Plato (424/423 av. J.-C.- 348/347 av. J.-C)

– Critias – Organization of the Atlantis kingdom as a metaphor of the ideal city

• Larousse (1817-1875)– Great Universal 19th-

Century Dictionary

3. Historical backgroundEmergence phase

• Influence of US ecologists

• Marsh (1864), Osborn (1948), Leopold (1949)… who were talking about services provided by Nature;

• Paul and Anne Ehrlich in the 1970’s– « The most subtle and dangerous threat to man’s

existence… is the potential destruction, by man’s own activities, of those ecological systems upon which the very existence of the human species depends » (Ehrlich et Ehrlich, 1970, p.157)

3. Historical backgroundEmergence phase

• Study of Critical Environmental Problem• Working group ± 100 experts at MIT (July 1970)• Objective : global approach of environmental problems

(climate, ocean…)

• « pest control, insect pollination, fisheries, climate regulation, soil retention, flood control, soil formation, cycling of matter, composition of the atmosphere » (SCEP, pp.122-125).

3. Historical backgroundEmergence phase

• Development of environmental and ecological economics

« this paper suggests that the term 'natural resources' be re-defined as 'natural functions' (or, goods and services provided by the natural environment) and discusses the (potential) use of the function-concept in economic planning and decision-making. »

1970 1997

Costanza et al.Daily

2005

MAPES

Emergence

Media coverage

Policy

• « the paper received broad media coverage, including stories in the NY Times, Newsweek, Science, Science News and US News and World Report and reports on US National Public Radio and the BBC. It was also included as one of Discover magazine’s top 100 science stories for 1997. »

3. Historical backgroundMedia coverage phase

2000

2001

2005

2003

Millennium Development Goals

3. Historical backgroundMedia coverage phase

18

The MA conceptual framework on the ecosystem services and human well-being linkages

19

The MA conceptual framework on the ecosystem services and human well-being linkages

Technical Documentation

Synthesis report

Conceptual framework

1970 1997

Costanza et al.Daily

2005

MAPES

Emergence

Media coverage

Policy

3. Historical backgroundPolicy phase

• MA Follow-up process (Ash, 2008)– Limited impacts to date on policy formulation and

decision-making, especially in developing countries– Unavailability of working models to analyze ecosystem

services and their trade-offs with development policies– Need to fill knowledge gaps at all levels and economic

valuations one ecosystem service (cultural and regulating)– Limited funds for many of the Sub Global Assessment– Need to further raise awareness among various

stakeholders

Ash, N. (2009). Turning Knowledge into Action. A global strategy for follow up to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA). IUCN Ecosystem Management Programme. 3-6th June 2008, Brussells

3. Historical backgroundPolicy phase

• MA Follow-up process (Ash, 2008)– Knowledge Base

• Build the knowledge base on the links between biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, ecosystem services and human well-being, and develop tools for mainstreaming ecosystem services into development and economic decision-making

– Policy implementation• Promote the systematic application of ecosystem service considerations in public,

civil society and private sector decision-making

– Outreach and Dissemination • Disseminate MA findings and conceptual framework, tools and methodologies to

relevant stakeholders through the development of action-based media strategies and educational tools

– Future ES Assessment• Explore needs, options and modalities for a possible second global ecosystem

assessment, complementing existing assessment processes and contributing to the development of a more coherent international environmental assessment landscape

3. Historical backgroundPolicy phase

• Created in 2012 - sponsored by UN institutions (FAO, UNESCO, UNEP, UNDP) and approved by 96 countries.

• “the platform will complement, among others, the scientific subsidiary bodies of the biodiversity- and ecosystem-related conventions and relevant intergovernmental bodies with the needed scientifically credible information on emerging issues in the science of biodiversity and ecosystem services”. (Unep, 2008)

3. Historical backgroundPolicy phase

• Origin– Launched by several environmental ministers in

March 2007 during the preparation phase of Bali Conference on Climate Change• G8+5 (USA, France, Germany, UK, Japan,

Russia, Canada, Italy + Brazil, India, China, Mexico et South Africa) – meeting at Postdam (Germ.)

• Objectives • A call to assess the economics cost of inaction

and broadly to improve the monetary valuation of ES

http://www.teebweb.org/Screenshot – 15/11/14

3. Historical backgroundTo summarize

• Ecosystem Services are contributions of ecosystems to human well-being

• Old idea, renewed in 1970’s and publicized by the MA process in 2005.

• Top down process carried by ecologists/economits in order to boost conservation of biodiversity policies and awareness of the erosion of biodiversity at a global scale.

• Today, the implementation in public policies at national or local level is needed.

4. New trends

30

MA United Kingdom, 2011

3. New trends Grey zones

31

MA France Proposal, 2009

3. New trends Grey zones

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ESF provided by the TEBB, 2010

3. New trends Grey zones

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ESF provided by the IPBES, 2010

3. New trends Grey zones

3. New trends Grey zones

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Within scientific papers

Fisher et al., 2009 Balmford et al., 2010

Tallis et al., 2012Haines-Young & Potschin, 2009

35

The MA conceptual framework on the ecosystem services and human well-being linkages

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TRADEOFFS BENEFITS

VALUES

To conclude• ESF is a new promising concept carried by environmental institutions, ecologists and economists.

• It aims at creating a signal about the erosion of biodiversity through a specific (anthropocentric) way : human well-being depends on the natural ecosystems.

• It aims at demonstrating that conservation of biodiversity is not a constraint for economic development. It is a political challenge.

• This challenge leads to focus on trade-offs between provisioning vs regulating services.

• Links with health exist but they are not yet clearly developed.