Rural landscape design: think local, involve locals

The urge to involve stakeholders from the start of ecosystem service (ES) assessments is increasingly addressed in literature. This is even more the case when studying rural landscape planning for which impacts on ES have proved to be highly context specific. Despite the growing amount of social ES valuations, few studies integrate them to a biophysical ES assessment. To fill in this gap, we developed a methodology where the social ES valuation directly serves the biophysical ES assessment. By combining components of the Delphi and the focus group methods, our approach allows to provide good insights on the preferred ES within the studied locality. Thanks to the deliberative phase, it also provides information on the divergences and convergences among the social values held by local stakeholders. The underpinning aim of the exercise is to reach a consent within the group. Conversely to a consensus where the decision must be unanimous, a consent seeks decisions where nobody has fundamental opposition to it. We believe that applying such approach has the potential to: - guide the biophysical ES assessment towards ES which are relevant to the study area and important in the eyes of local stakeholders; - create opportunity for collective social learning; - identify networks of influences and/or social interdependencies related to ES; - empower local stakeholders while enhancing the democratic process of decision-making. The presentation first introduces the backbone of the methodology. Two case-studies in which we applied the innovative approach will then be presented. The first case study relates to local ES assessment carried out in agroecological and conventional farms in a Western locality in Belgium. The second case-study relates to a land consolidation scheme project. Outcomes of the approach applied in both cases are put forward, and adaptation of the methodology for the distinct purposes and contexts are elucidated

A new valuation school: Integrating diverse values of nature in resource and land use decisions

We are increasingly confronted with severe social and economic impacts of environmental degradation all over the world. From a valuation perspective, environmental problems and conflicts originate from trade-offs between values. The urgency and importance to integrate nature\u27s diverse values in decisions and actions stand out more than ever. Valuation, in its broad sense of ‘assigning importance’, is inherently part of most decisions on natural resource and land use. Scholars from different traditions -while moving from heuristic interdisciplinary debate to applied transdisciplinary science- now acknowledge the need for combining multiple disciplines and methods to represent the diverse set of values of nature. This growing group of scientists and practitioners share the ambition to explore how combinations of ecological, socio-cultural and economic valuation tools can support real-life resource and land use decision-making. The current sustainability challenges and the ineffectiveness of single-value approaches to offer relief demonstrate that continuing along a single path is no option. We advocate for the adherence of a plural valuation culture and its establishment as a common practice, by contesting and complementing ineffective and discriminatory single-value approaches. In policy and decision contexts with a willingness to improve sustainability, integrated valuation approaches can be blended in existing processes, whereas in contexts of power asymmetries or environmental conflicts, integrated valuation can promote the inclusion of diverse values through action research and support the struggle for social and environmental justice. The special issue and this editorial synthesis paper bring together lessons from pioneer case studies and research papers, synthesizing main challenges and setting out priorities for the years to come for the field of integrated valuation

A new valuation school : Integrating diverse values of nature in resource and land use decisions

We are increasingly confronted with severe social and economic impacts of environmental degradation all over the world. From a valuation perspective, environmental problems and conflicts originate from trade-offs between values. The urgency and importance to integrate nature's diverse values in decisions and actions stand out more than ever. Valuation, in its broad sense of 'assigning importance', is inherently part of most decisions on natural resource and land use. Scholars from different traditions -while moving from heuristic interdisciplinary debate to applied transdisciplinary science- now acknowledge the need for combining multiple disciplines and methods to represent the diverse set of values of nature. This growing group of scientists and practitioners share the ambition to explore how combinations of ecological, socio-cultural and economic valuation tools can support real-life resource and land use decision-making. The current sustainability challenges and the ineffectiveness of single-value approaches to offer relief demonstrate that continuing along a single path is no option. We advocate for the adherence of a plural valuation culture and its establishment as a common practice, by contesting and complementing ineffective and discriminatory single-value approaches. In policy and decision contexts with a willingness to improve sustainability, integrated valuation approaches can be blended in existing processes, whereas in contexts of power asymmetries or environmental conflicts, integrated valuation can promote the inclusion of diverse values through action research and support the struggle for social and environmental justice. The special issue and this editorial synthesis paper bring together lessons from pioneer case studies and research papers, synthesizing main challenges and setting out priorities for the years to come for the field of integrated valuation.Peer reviewe

Towards viability of urban market gardening through innovative access to private properties and mutualisation of production means

0info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Ecosystem services in Belgian environmental policy-making: percolations, representations and expectations

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Ecosystem Services in Belgian Environmental Policy Making: Expectations and Challenges Linked to the Conceptualization and Valuation of Ecosystem Services

An ecosystem services (ES) approach seems to entail two different, but intertwined, mechanisms: (1) the adoption of the conceptual framework of ES, as a particular (instrumental) angle from which to analyze the linkages between people and the environment; and (2) the experimentation with a set of ES (e)valuation tools and instruments in order to reduce complexities through the adoption of economic/monetary values wherever suitable. This chapter explores both mechanisms-with respect to the conceptualization and to the valuation of ES-at the level of Belgian environmental policy making. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.SCOPUS: ch.binfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

La boussole de viabilité

0info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Comment révéler les multiples rôles de la biodiversité pour le bien-être individuel et collectif ? Un appel pour relancer la plateforme wallonne sur les services écosystémiques

Face au constat de la dégradation continue de la biosphère, le concept de services écosystémiques (i.e. ensemble des biens et services fournis par les écosystèmes ; SE) est de plus en plus mobilisé pour mettre en évidence la valeur des apports des écosystèmes à la vie humaine. Cette approche permet de révéler nos (inter)dépendances et interactions avec la nature, les coûts et bénéfices cachés de nos actions et de mettre en discussion les intérêts individuels et collectifs pour une gestion durable des écosystèmes. Dans ce contexte, une plateforme wallonne sur les services écosystémiques, nommée Wal-ES, a été mise en place en 2014. A l’interface entre le Service Public de Wallonie (SPW) et les universités wallonnes, Wal-ES vise à révéler l’importance du fonctionnement des écosystèmes pour intégrer l’approche des SE dans des outils d’aide à la décision. Financée seulement pendant une année, la plateforme n’a pu que mettre en place un cadre conceptuel et les bases communes devant servir ultérieurement à développer les outils d’aide à la décision. Toutefois, l’équipe scientifique a continué à mobiliser le concept dans deux projets de développement territorial. Le premier correspond à un aménagement foncier rural en Hesbaye où l’approche des SE a été mise en œuvre pour évaluer et développer la multifonctionnalité des paysages agricoles. Le second est le projet d'une première charte forestière sur quatre communes de la Grande Forêt de Saint-Hubert. Un diagnostic des services écosystémiques rendus par la forêt a été réalisé pour évaluer la répartition des services sur le territoire et préconiser des stratégies de gestion visant à en améliorer la fourniture