Opportunities and challenges for mainstreaming ecosystem services in decision making

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Ecosystem service research has grown significantly in recent years, highlighting links between ecosystem services and human well-being. Few studies are however, geared towards providing user-friendly, user-useful and user-relevant information suitable for implementing effective local management of areas that deliver ecosystem services, resulting in a gap between ecosystem service research and management.In response to this challenge, it has been argued that in order to safeguard the benefit flows provided by ecosystems, the concept of ecosystem services should be mainstreamed into land-use (and water-use) planning and management processes. As the conservation of ecosystem services is ultimately a social process operating in a social context, understanding the complexity of the research-management interface demands input from a range of stakeholders. Thus, mainstreaming the environment into decision making requires multi-stakeholder engagement processes that facilitate the co-production and exchange of knowledge.Accordingly, through the use of a transdisciplinary, mixed method approach, this dissertation contributes to a better understanding of some of the opportunities and challenges for mainstreaming ecosystem services in development planning at a local level, using a case study in the Eden District (Eden) of South Africa. Through an extensive stakeholder engagement process which explored what the information needs, responsibilities and capacities of decision makers in Eden are, both opportunities that facilitate the integration of ecosystem service information in decision making, and challenges impeding integration, have been identified.This research found that despite a history of ecosystem service research in Eden, there has been limited integration of the concept of ecosystem services into decision-making processes driving development. Insufficient capacity, limited resources, minimal proactive planning, a weak regulatory environment, entrenched disciplinary thinking and insufficient communication amongst diverse stakeholders on the benefits of using an ecosystem-based approach remain as challenges for the mainstreaming of ecosystem services in decision making. However, strategic opportunities for mainstreaming ecosystem services into decisions regarding current and future development trajectories were also found. It was found that the development, and nurturing of transdisciplinary learning networks that are problem driven, and action oriented, using a communities of practice model of engagement, can facilitate legitimate knowledge exchange processes. In this regard, the role of individual and institutional knowledge brokers was found to be critical. It was also found that the concept of risk was useful as a mainstreaming tool in bridging the gaps between different disciplines, and between science, policy and practice. A frame of risk enabled different disciplinary and knowledge communities to participate in joint activities and discussions during which information was co-produced and exchanged. Through this work, new relationships were built that facilitated both learning and action with regards to the importance of ecosystem services for mitigating risk.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University