Overcoming hunger and meeting the nutritional needs of almost 7 billion people, rising to over 9 ... more Overcoming hunger and meeting the nutritional needs of almost 7 billion people, rising to over 9 billion people by 2050, is a central challenge for this generation. Equally critical will be to achieve this in a way that keeps humanity’s footprint within
planetary boundaries. Water scarcity is self-evidently one of the key factors that will limit food production. This is especially the case in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where malnutrition and food insecurity are already widespread. In these areas, the livelihoods and well-being of poor communities are critically
dependent on their farm produce and the ecosystem services from the local landscape that support their livelihoods and income.
This background document and synthesis on An Ecosystem Services Approach to Water and Food Security is part of UNEP’s contribution to the global food crisis, pledged to the United Nations Secretary-General and developed in collaboration
with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and other partners. Together, we identified and explored the links between ecosystems, water and food, and illustrate how resilient ecosystems can support and increase food security.
It is clear that enormous opportunities exist to increase food production in ways that make optimal and sustainable use of water and other resources. This means that we can feed a global population without massive and irreversible damage to our
ecosystems. It also means that ensuring food security, managing water resources and protecting ecosystems must be considered as a single policy rather than as separate, and sometimes competing, choices.
This approach calls for a fundamental shift in perspective and a deeper understanding of the enormous economic importance of ecosystems and the broad suite of services they provide. For
example, well-managed agroecosystems not only provide food, fiber and animal products, they also generate services such as flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, erosion control and habitats for plants, birds, fish and other animals.It also requires intersectoral collaboration, because only then can policies and practices change. The overarching recommendation of this synthesis is that future sustainability requires an integrated approach to managing multipurpose agroecosystems in a
landscape or river basin setting. These ecosystems–whether they are wetlands or forests, arid pastoral lands or rice fields–represent the future of food security and resilience against
shocks while offering a way towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and beyond.
This document does not come in isolation. It is also a
contribution to UNEP’s wider work and partnership on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) and a transition to a low-carbon, resourceefficient Green Economy. Together they are all part of the urgency to evolve the sustainable development agenda forged in a previous century to reflect the new challenges and also the emerging opportunities of the 21st century.
Overcoming hunger and meeting the nutritional needs of almost 7 billion people, rising to over 9 ... more Overcoming hunger and meeting the nutritional needs of almost 7 billion people, rising to over 9 billion people by 2050, is a central challenge for this generation. Equally critical will be to achieve this in a way that keeps humanity’s footprint within planetary boundaries. Water scarcity is self-evidently one of the key factors that will limit food production. This is especially
the case in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where malnutrition and food insecurity are already widespread. In these areas, the livelihoods and well-being of poor communities are critically dependent on their farm produce and the ecosystem services from the local landscape that support their livelihoods and income.
This synthesis and background document on Ecosystems for Water and Food Security is part of UNEP’s contribution to the global food crisis, pledged to the United Nations Secretary-General and developed in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and other partners. Together, we identified and explored the links between ecosystems, water and food, and illustrate how resilient ecosystems can support and increase food security. It is clear that enormous opportunities exist to increase food production in ways that make optimal and sustainable use of water and other resources. This means that we can feed a global population
without massive and irreversible damage to our ecosystems. It also means that ensuring food security, managing water resources and protecting ecosystems must be considered as a single policy rather than as separate, and sometimes competing, choices.
ABSTRACT Understanding how people are dependent on Large Scale Marine Protected Areas (LSMPAs) is... more ABSTRACT Understanding how people are dependent on Large Scale Marine Protected Areas (LSMPAs) is important for understanding how people might be sensitive to changes that affect these seascapes. We review how resource dependency is conceptualized and propose that it be broadened to include cultural values such as pride in resource status, scientific heritage, appreciation of aesthetics, biodiversity, and lifestyle opportunities. We provide an overview of how local residents (n = 3,181 face-to-face surveys), commercial fishers (n = 210, telephone surveys), and tourism operators (n = 119 telephone surveys) are potentially dependent on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), a region currently experiencing significant environmental, social, and economic change. We found that commercial fishers and tourism operators were dependent not only financially on the GBR, but also because of their age, years in the industry and region, lack of education, and the number of dependents. These stakeholders lacked flexibility to secure alternative employment. All stakeholder groups, regardless of economic imperatives, were dependent on the GBR because of their cultural connections. We propose that resource dependency also provides an umbrella concept to describe the cultural services provided by an ecosystem, which can be described through place-based dependence and place-identity.
The NERP Tropical Ecosystem Hub addresses issues of concern for the management, conservation and ... more The NERP Tropical Ecosystem Hub addresses issues of concern for the management, conservation and sustainable use of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and its catchments, tropical rainforests including the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (WTWHA), and the terrestrial and marine assets underpinning resilient communities in the Torres Strait, through the generation and transfer of world-class research and shared knowledge.
• The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is Australia's most inspiring landmark (amongst all the attraction... more • The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is Australia's most inspiring landmark (amongst all the attractions tested in this research). More than 90% of respondents listed the GBR as 'inspiring' during the September survey. • The strongest associations with the GBR are overwhelmingly positive (>80% of responses): beauty, coral and fish are amongst the most common associations. • The vast majority of Australians either want to visit the GBR in the future, or have done so already. Approximately 44% of respondents have visited the GBR, while approximately half of respondents have not yet visited but would like to one day. • When unprompted, respondents think pollution, climate change and people are the three biggest threats to the GBR. • When provided with a list of threats, respondents think that climate change, marine debris and agricultural runoff are the three biggest threats to the GBR. • Respondents are proud of the GBR's World Heritage status. • More than 85% of respondents in the September survey agreed that they "feel proud the GBR is a World Heritage Area." • There is a widespread responsibility to protect the GBR, although individual responsibility is less than the collective responsibility • More than 80% of respondents in the September survey agree that "it is the responsibility of all Australians to protect the GBR" while 63% believe it is their own responsibility to protect the GBR. • The GBR is part of how respondents identity themselves as Australians. • 74% of respondents in the September survey agree that "the GBR is part of my Australian identity."
The possibilities, issues and barriers pertaining to the adaptation of biodiversity to climate ch... more The possibilities, issues and barriers pertaining to the adaptation of biodiversity to climate change show similarities across the different ecosystem types, species and processes of the Wet Tropics Cluster (WTC) region. Many management actions for climate change are the same as those already known to be important to biodiversity management: reduce or eliminate other anthropogenic stressors in order to build integrity and resilience into natural systems and ideally assist them to withstand the future pressures associated with climate change. However, climate change will also involve different approaches in many respects including facilitating change, especially the movement of species and ecosystems as they track suitable climate and conditions. In addition, 'in situ' conservation-managing species in their habitat, or facilitating their dispersal within the landscape-will be less expensive than 'ex situ' conservation (managing species outside their current range). The key messages associated with each of the topics addressed in this chapter are: TOPIC KEY MESSAGES TOPIC KEY MESSAGES From maintaining ecosystems to enabling adaptation 5. As ecological communities change, it may become more important to identify key processes, communities or functional types that contribute to the persistence of an ecosystem, and focus on protecting those. Conceptual and practical management options for conservation 6. Conservation planning is concerned with where, when and how to act to achieve conservation objectives. Climate change will prove a challenge to current conservation planning, bringing novel conditions, including novel ecosystems, extreme events and unprecedented rates of change. Identifying and protecting key refugia 7. Potentially the most cost-effective solution for biodiversity conservation under climate change is to identify and protect places in the landscape that will harbour many species from the worst impacts of climate change. 8. Refugia need to safeguard long-term population viability. 9. Refugia will need to be within the range of environmental parameters tolerable to species or ecological communities, or accessible if outside their current range. 10. Ideal refugia will provide protection against multiple threats. 11. Four different techniques used to identify refugia highlight the importance of the upland areas of the WTC Region as important refugia. 12. The current protected areas encompass the areas that are known to be important for many species currently in the Australian Wet Tropics (AWT); however they are likely to miss the areas important for species in other parts of Australia that are likely to move into the AWT as a result of climate change. 13. The southern upland rainforest of the AWT, particularly Hinchinbrook Island, Paluma Range and Mt Elliot, emerge as important refugia across all refugia analyses. 14. The east coast of Australia has a high proportion of the area that will be climate change refugia when compared to the rest of Australia. 15. The Australian Wet Tropics Bioregion is likely to be an important area for many species moving from the west and north. 16. Adaptation for freshwater ecosystems must include the identification, protection and management of current and future refugia, especially in areas predicted to remain climatically relatively stable. 17. The WTC region is expected to retain a large proportion of its freshwater biodiversity; therefore has conservation importance at a national level. 18. Identifying refuges specific to freshwater biodiversity will require the consideration of refuge value, including abiotic factors, biotic factors, anthropogenic factors, spatial factors and temporal factors. 19. Systematic conservation planning is an important tool for prioritising areas (e.g. refugia) for protection and restoration. 20. Restoration will need to be a major part of climate adaptation. TOPIC KEY MESSAGES Reproduction in vegetation communities 39. Adaptation management actions will require a holistic approach, with the most cost-effective actions occurring for species in-situ. Ex-situ actions, for the most threatened species, may include seedbanking, genetic supplementation and/or assisted colonisation/dispersal and buyback of sites. 40. The risks and benefits of adaptations should be taken into account, particularly with actions such as assisted gene flow. Seed-based risk assessment could be an option for some species from the WTC Region. 41. Fire could be used as a management tool to promote seed germination in species adapted to a fireprone landscape, with a 'sprouting' life-history strategy, but timing and frequency of burning should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Adaptation for important species and communities 42. Adaptation options for marine turtles are mainly consistent with a reduction in other more immediate impacts. 43. Protecting nesting beaches is the most cost-effective strategy of increasing turtle populations. 44. A number of options exist to safeguard the most important nesting beaches from beach loss and inundation, effectively providing a buffer zone. Adaptation options will need to be tailored to individual beaches and the particular threats they face. 45. Maintaining connectivity to suitable nesting habitat near existing nesting beaches, especially inland, will make a considerable difference to the capacity for nesting turtles to adapt to sea level rise. 46. The identification and protection of turtle feeding grounds will also provide an important buffer to changing climate conditions. 47. Reductions in direct mortality of turtles from boat strike, fisheries by-catch, plastic debris and disease must be controlled, and stranded turtle rehabilitation need to continue. 48. Protecting dugong feeding habitat and reducing direct anthropogenic mortality should be the priorities of any adaptation program. 49. Dugong mortality can be minimised through fishing closures, gear modification and boating restrictions. 50. Creating protected areas achieves rehabilitation of coral reef systems. 51. The benefits of restoring coral reefs currently outweigh the costs, except at very localised scales. Opportunities for improving restoration options should be considered, as this may be increasingly necessary in the future. 52. Structural complexity is the most important restoration focus for coral reef communities. 53. Identifying future refugia for coral reef organisms, or even whole coral reef communities, will be a crucial factor in assisting coral reef adaptation to climate change. 54. Inshore reefs of the GBR are urgently in need of improved water quality management, both at the catchment scale and locally (e.g. around ports). 55. Many of the required strategies for adapting to climate change in the Torres Strait will ultimately protect both human populations and ecosystems. 56. For islands large enough to benefit from conservation actions, adaptation measures will be similar to those described for coastal assemblages turtles, dugongs, seagrass beds and coral reefs. 57. Due to their flying large distances, adaptation strategies for flying-foxes will need to be considered Adaptation Pathways and Opportunities for the Wet Tropics NRM Cluster region 15 TOPIC KEY MESSAGES via a whole-landscape approach. 58. The increasing urbanisation of flying-fox camps will need to be managed through public education and when non-lethal dispersals occur the impacts will need to be closely monitored. 59. The greatest limiting factor for flying-fox persistence in the future is the quality and availability of food resources. Adaptation planning for these species should start with a good understanding of spatial and temporal resource distribution. 60. Species-specific adaptation actions for birds will need to take into account life history and ecology, but general management to increase the adaptive capacity of the entire WTC Region will benefit a suite of species. 61. The most important adaptation actions for birds will be managing current stressors, and in situ management including refugia identification and protection. Expensive ex situ options such as captive breeding and assisted migration should be considered a last option. 62. Landscape connectivity will greatly improve the cassowary's chances of survival. Monitoring adaptation outcomes 63. Adaptation actions will require monitoring to ascertain whether they have produced desirable outcomes and to inform changes that may be required; ideally, monitoring should be embedded within an adaptive management framework. 64. Monitoring programs should be initiated with a specific objective, or set of objectives, in mind. 65. Monitoring should be embedded within a framework that involves scientists, management agencies, funding agencies and government. 66. The power to detect changes depends on the sampling design, methods, timing and frequency of the monitoring program. 67. Communication is the key link in all steps of embedding monitoring within an adaptive management framework. Summary and conclusions 68. Ignorance and misinformation of the general public is a major obstacle at all levels, leading to disinterest and inertia, and supporting a continued lack of political will. Monetary cost is the most common perceived barrier to adaptation actions. 69. Conservation messages fail to capture the role of market mechanisms in persuading the public and governing bodies of the benefit and urgency of climate change adaptation.
• The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is Australia's most inspiring landmark (amongst all the attraction... more • The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is Australia's most inspiring landmark (amongst all the attractions tested in this research). More than 90% of respondents listed the GBR as 'inspiring' during the September survey. • The strongest associations with the GBR are overwhelmingly positive (>80% of responses): beauty, coral and fish are amongst the most common associations. • The vast majority of Australians either want to visit the GBR in the future, or have done so already. Approximately 44% of respondents have visited the GBR, while approximately half of respondents have not yet visited but would like to one day. • When unprompted, respondents think pollution, climate change and people are the three biggest threats to the GBR. • When provided with a list of threats, respondents think that climate change, marine debris and agricultural runoff are the three biggest threats to the GBR. • Respondents are proud of the GBR's World Heritage status. • More than 85% of respondents in the September survey agreed that they "feel proud the GBR is a World Heritage Area." • There is a widespread responsibility to protect the GBR, although individual responsibility is less than the collective responsibility • More than 80% of respondents in the September survey agree that "it is the responsibility of all Australians to protect the GBR" while 63% believe it is their own responsibility to protect the GBR. • The GBR is part of how respondents identity themselves as Australians. • 74% of respondents in the September survey agree that "the GBR is part of my Australian identity."
In this chapter, we compile climate change adaptation options for ecosystem services for the Wet ... more In this chapter, we compile climate change adaptation options for ecosystem services for the Wet Tropics Cluster (WTC) region, derived from the Australian literature and elsewhere. We focus particularly on water regulation, climate regulation, carbon sequestration, agricultural production, timber production, habitat provision, erosion control, and traditional values. We also discuss emerging opportunities that may become available in WTC region in the future, bring together the limitations and constraints of current payments for carbon abatement and discuss possible ways to establish payments for ecosystem services through examination of examples from across the world that may be applied to the WTC region. Finally, we discuss the barriers to climate adaptation in regard to ecosystem services. The key messages associated with each of the topics addressed in this chapter are: 78. Re-establishing native vegetation in beaches, dunes and barrier Islands will increase the climate adaptation potential of these systems. Carbon sequestration 79. There is high potential for more carbon sequestration and storage through improved management practices, environmental planting, mixed farming and land rehabilitation. 80. Native species with relatively high wood density and slow growth rates are more likely to store carbon for a long time. 81. There should be consideration of potential limitations to C sequestration on rangelands. Habitat provision for biodiversity 82. Integrated farm management has potential benefits for biodiversity as well as farm productivity. 83. Ongoing and enhanced invasive species management is required. Timber provision 84. More emphasis on cyclone-resistant tree species is required. 85. Forest management practices may affect climate change resilience. 86. Opportunities to increase growth rates due to elevated CO 2 should be taken advantage of where practical. Traditional values 87. Incorporating local and Indigenous knowledge in formal decision-making about ecosystem services and climate change adaptation is important. 88. Enhancing Indigenous adaptation options and community-based adaptation is useful. 89. Strong linkages between local knowledge and formal science are required. Marine ecosystem services 90. Maintaining continuous native vegetation cover in the terrestrial ecosystems will reduce some stressors on the Reef and will increase its resilience to climate change. Barriers in current mechanisms 91. Lack of sufficient funding is an ongoing concern. 92. Frequent government policy shifts are not helpful. 93. Complexity of methods and approaches is discouraging for many stakeholders. 94. Uptake of adaptation measures depend on attitudes beliefs and perceptions about climate change by members of the society and their level of exposure to mass media. Mechanisms for establishing payments for ecosystem services 95. An appropriate process is required for payment for ecosystem services.
Multiple ecosystem services supply across three forest types was evaluated. • The supplies were h... more Multiple ecosystem services supply across three forest types was evaluated. • The supplies were highest in rainforests followed by rehabilitated and sclerophyll forests. • Global climate regulation had synergies but nutrient regulation had trade-offs impact. • Two synergy groups and one trade-off group were identified. • Three integrated pathways were recommended to sustain the supply of multiple ecosystem services.
Ecosystem services are the bridge between nature and society, and are essential elements of commu... more Ecosystem services are the bridge between nature and society, and are essential elements of community well-being. The Wet Tropics Australia, is environmentally and biologically diverse, and supplies numerous ecosystem services. It contributes to the community well-being of this region, Australian national economy and global climate change mitigation efforts. However, the ecosystem services in the region have rarely been assessed undermining strategic landscape planning to sustain their future flow. In this study, we attempted to: (i) assess the quantity of five regulating ecosystem services – global climate regulation, air quality regulation, erosion regulation, nutrient regulation, and cyclone protection, and three provisioning ecosystem services – habitat provision, energy provision and timber provision across rainforests, sclerophyll forests and rehabilitated plantation forests; (ii) evaluate the variation of supply of those regulating and provisioning ecosystem services across environmental gradients, such as rainfall, temperature, and elevation; (iii) show the relationships among those ecosystem services; and (iv) identify the hotspots of single and multiple ecosystem services supply across the landscape. The results showed that rainforests possess a very high capacity to supply single and multiple ecosystem services, and the hotspots for most of the regulating and provisioning ecosystem services are found in upland rainforest followed by lowland rainforest, and upland sclerophyll forest. Elevation, rainfall and temperature gradients along with forest structure are the main determinant factors for the quantity of ecosystem services supplied across the three forest types. The correlation among ecosystem services may be positive or negative depending on the ecosystem service category and vegetation type. The rehabilitated plantation forests may provide some ecosystem services comparable to the rainforest. The results demonstrated disturbance regimes (such as tropical cyclones) may have influenced the usual spatial trend of ecosystem service values. This study will assist decision makers in incorporating ecosystem services into their natural resource management planning, and for practitioners to identify the areas with higher values of specific and multiple ecosystem services.
Tropical forests are the storehouse of both ecosystem services and biodiversity but the interlink... more Tropical forests are the storehouse of both ecosystem services and biodiversity but the interlinkages between these two components of ecosystems are yet to be fully explored. We utilized expert opinion to assess the key and multiple ecosystem services, and biodiversity in a tropical landscape. We found that key and multiple ecosystem services supply varies across the landscape and that forest disturbances reduce the capacity to supply those ecosystem services. We also found that a spatial congruence is likely to occurs between high-potential biodiversity and high-potential global climate regulation ecosystem service in the intact rainforest areas while a spatial divergence is likely to occurs in the sclerophyll and other disturbed and low tree abundance forested areas. Overall in a tropical forested landscape, a spatial congruence between high-potential multiple ecosystem services supply and high-potential biodiversity values is likely to occurs provided that the multiple ecosystem services are forest-based. Along with conserving relatively intact forests, management intervention priorities should focus on increasing tree abundance both in non-tree vegetated land cover areas and within disturbed forested areas to increase the high-potential multiple ecosystem services supply at the landscape level. A careful selection of multiple ecosystem services is required to integrate both high-potential multiple ecosystem services and high-potential biodiversity in tropical forest management.
Climate change alters the functions of ecosystems and as a result, the provision of ecosystem ser... more Climate change alters the functions of ecosystems and as a result, the provision of ecosystem services and wellbeing of people that rely on these services. The concept of ecosystem services is aimed at supporting this broad and open dialogue in ways that allow potential synergies and tradeoffs among social, economic and ecological objectives to be identified and addressed with due reference to the multiple perceptions that people have about benefits and beneficiaries from the environment. In this paper we discuss insights about the impacts of climate change on key regional ecosystem services for the Wet Tropics. Syntheses of published ideas and approaches are presented with key climate change messages for NRM groups to enable them to incorporate into their new regional plans for the Wet Tropics Cluster Region.
While many regions across the globe are vulnerable to climate change (Hare, Cramer, Schaeffer, Ba... more While many regions across the globe are vulnerable to climate change (Hare, Cramer, Schaeffer, Battaglini, & Jaeger, 2011), planning for climate change adaptation has tended to focus its efforts on biophysical and engineering adaption responses (Stanley, 2010). The social dimension of these kinds of adaptation responses is typically framed around inclusive citizen participation (Chu, Anguelovski, & Carmin, 2016) or community-based governance approaches to climate planning (Forsyth, 2013). For vulnerable groups and geographies exposed to the more frequent and severe effects of climate change, however, broader social adaptations are needed to enable them to participate in and take effective leadership of climate adaptation outcomes (Chu et al., 2016; Dodman & Mitlin, 2013; Warrick, 2011).
Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits community receive from ecosystems. The necessity of ES f... more Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits community receive from ecosystems. The necessity of ES for community well-being and sustainable development is universally accepted. ES have already been negatively impacted by climate change and will only deteriorate further during this century, if adequate adaptation measures are not taken. Noting ES are a relatively new dimension in the context of climate change, globally scientists and policy makers are busy searching for suitable adaptation options and ensuring an uninterrupted flow of ES. In this study, we have used climate change models, and synthesized the scholarly findings to answer two research questions (i) Why are ES based adaptations required? and (ii) What types of suitable adaptation options are available to ensure an uninterrupted supply (and flow) of ES? The study has been conducted in the Wet Tropics, Australia considering its outstanding national and global ecological significance. Our study has revealed that apart from th...
Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 2020
This Article explores the spectacular prevalence, and failure, of the single most common techniqu... more This Article explores the spectacular prevalence, and failure, of the single most common technique for protecting personal autonomy in modern society: mandated disclosure. The Article has four Parts: (1) a comprehensive summary of the recurring use of mandated disclosures, in many forms and circumstances, in the areas of consumer and borrower protection, patient informed consent, contract formation, and constitutional rights; (2) a survey of the empirical literature documenting the failure of the mandated disclosure regime in informing people and in improving their decisions; (3) an account of the multitude of reasons mandated disclosures fail, focusing on the political dynamics underlying the enactments of these mandates, the incentives of disclosers to carry them out, and, most importantly, on the ability of disclosees to use them; and (4) an argument that mandated disclosure not only fails to achieve its stated goal but also leads to unintended consequences that often harm the very people it intends to serve.
Managing human use of ecosystems in an era of rapid environmental change requires an understandin... more Managing human use of ecosystems in an era of rapid environmental change requires an understanding of diverse stakeholders’ behaviors and perceptions to enable effective prioritization of actions to mitigate multiple threats. Specifically, research examining how threat perceptions are shared or diverge among stakeholder groups and how these can evolve through time is increasingly important. We investigated environmental threat perceptions related to Australia's Great Barrier Reef and explored their associations before and after consecutive years of mass coral bleaching. We used data from surveys of commercial fishers, tourism operators, and coastal residents (n = 5254) conducted in 2013 and 2017. Threats perceived as most serious differed substantially among groups before bleaching but were strongly aligned after bleaching. Climate change became the most frequently reported threat by all stakeholder groups following the coral bleaching events, and perceptions of fishing and poor...
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are effective resource management and conservation measures, but th... more Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are effective resource management and conservation measures, but their success is often hindered by non-compliant activities such as poaching. Understanding the risk factors and spatial patterns of poaching is therefore crucial for efficient law enforcement. Here, we conducted explanatory and predictive modelling of poaching from recreational fishers within no-take zones of Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) using Boosted Regression Trees (BRT). Combining patrol effort data, observed distribution of reported incidents, and spatially-explicit environmental and human risk factors, we modeled the occurrence probability of poaching incidents and mapped poaching risk at fine-scale. Our results: (i) show that fishing attractiveness, accessibility and fishing capacity play a major role in shaping the spatial patterns of poaching; (ii) revealed key interactions among these risk factors as well as tipping points beyond which poaching risk increased or decreased markedly; and (iii) highlight gaps in patrol effort that could be filled for improved resource allocation. The approach developed through this study provide a novel way to quantify the relative influence of multiple interacting factors in shaping poaching risk, and hold promises for replication across a broad range of marine or terrestrial settings.
It is well established that ecosystems bring meaning and well-being to individuals, often articul... more It is well established that ecosystems bring meaning and well-being to individuals, often articulated through attachment to place. Degradation and threats to places and ecosystems have been shown to lead to loss of well-being. Here, we suggest that the interactions between ecosystem loss and declining well-being may involve both emotional responses associated with grief, and with observable impacts on mental health. We test these ideas on so-called ecological grief by examining individual emotional response to well-documented and publicized ecological degradation: coral bleaching and mortality in the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. The study focuses both on one off events of coral loss and the prospect of continuing decline on the self-reported well-being of residents living within the ecosystem, visitors, and those whose livelihood is dependent on the marine resource: data from face-to-face surveys of 1870 local residents, 1804 tourists, and telephone surveys of 91 fishers and 94 tourism operators. We hypothesise that the extent to which individuals experience ecological grief is dependent on the meanings or intrinsic values (such as aesthetic, scientific, or biodiversity-based values), and is moderated by their place attachment, place identity, lifestyle dependence, place-based pride, and derived well-being. Results show that around half of residents, tourists and tourist operators surveyed, and almost one quarter of fishers, report significant Reef Grief. Reef Grief is closely and positively associated with place meanings within resident and tourist populations. By contrast respondents who rated high aesthetic value of the coral ecosystem report lower levels of Reef Grief. These findings have significant implications for how individuals and populations experience ecosystem decline and loss within places that are meaningful to them. Given inevitable cumulative future impacts on ecosystems from committed climate change impacts, understanding and managing ecological grief will become increasingly important. This study seeks to lay conceptual and theoretical foundations to identify how ecological grief is manifest and related to meaningful places and the social distribution of such grief across society.
Overcoming hunger and meeting the nutritional needs of almost 7 billion people, rising to over 9 ... more Overcoming hunger and meeting the nutritional needs of almost 7 billion people, rising to over 9 billion people by 2050, is a central challenge for this generation. Equally critical will be to achieve this in a way that keeps humanity’s footprint within
planetary boundaries. Water scarcity is self-evidently one of the key factors that will limit food production. This is especially the case in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where malnutrition and food insecurity are already widespread. In these areas, the livelihoods and well-being of poor communities are critically
dependent on their farm produce and the ecosystem services from the local landscape that support their livelihoods and income.
This background document and synthesis on An Ecosystem Services Approach to Water and Food Security is part of UNEP’s contribution to the global food crisis, pledged to the United Nations Secretary-General and developed in collaboration
with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and other partners. Together, we identified and explored the links between ecosystems, water and food, and illustrate how resilient ecosystems can support and increase food security.
It is clear that enormous opportunities exist to increase food production in ways that make optimal and sustainable use of water and other resources. This means that we can feed a global population without massive and irreversible damage to our
ecosystems. It also means that ensuring food security, managing water resources and protecting ecosystems must be considered as a single policy rather than as separate, and sometimes competing, choices.
This approach calls for a fundamental shift in perspective and a deeper understanding of the enormous economic importance of ecosystems and the broad suite of services they provide. For
example, well-managed agroecosystems not only provide food, fiber and animal products, they also generate services such as flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, erosion control and habitats for plants, birds, fish and other animals.It also requires intersectoral collaboration, because only then can policies and practices change. The overarching recommendation of this synthesis is that future sustainability requires an integrated approach to managing multipurpose agroecosystems in a
landscape or river basin setting. These ecosystems–whether they are wetlands or forests, arid pastoral lands or rice fields–represent the future of food security and resilience against
shocks while offering a way towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and beyond.
This document does not come in isolation. It is also a
contribution to UNEP’s wider work and partnership on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) and a transition to a low-carbon, resourceefficient Green Economy. Together they are all part of the urgency to evolve the sustainable development agenda forged in a previous century to reflect the new challenges and also the emerging opportunities of the 21st century.
Overcoming hunger and meeting the nutritional needs of almost 7 billion people, rising to over 9 ... more Overcoming hunger and meeting the nutritional needs of almost 7 billion people, rising to over 9 billion people by 2050, is a central challenge for this generation. Equally critical will be to achieve this in a way that keeps humanity’s footprint within planetary boundaries. Water scarcity is self-evidently one of the key factors that will limit food production. This is especially
the case in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where malnutrition and food insecurity are already widespread. In these areas, the livelihoods and well-being of poor communities are critically dependent on their farm produce and the ecosystem services from the local landscape that support their livelihoods and income.
This synthesis and background document on Ecosystems for Water and Food Security is part of UNEP’s contribution to the global food crisis, pledged to the United Nations Secretary-General and developed in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and other partners. Together, we identified and explored the links between ecosystems, water and food, and illustrate how resilient ecosystems can support and increase food security. It is clear that enormous opportunities exist to increase food production in ways that make optimal and sustainable use of water and other resources. This means that we can feed a global population
without massive and irreversible damage to our ecosystems. It also means that ensuring food security, managing water resources and protecting ecosystems must be considered as a single policy rather than as separate, and sometimes competing, choices.
ABSTRACT Understanding how people are dependent on Large Scale Marine Protected Areas (LSMPAs) is... more ABSTRACT Understanding how people are dependent on Large Scale Marine Protected Areas (LSMPAs) is important for understanding how people might be sensitive to changes that affect these seascapes. We review how resource dependency is conceptualized and propose that it be broadened to include cultural values such as pride in resource status, scientific heritage, appreciation of aesthetics, biodiversity, and lifestyle opportunities. We provide an overview of how local residents (n = 3,181 face-to-face surveys), commercial fishers (n = 210, telephone surveys), and tourism operators (n = 119 telephone surveys) are potentially dependent on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), a region currently experiencing significant environmental, social, and economic change. We found that commercial fishers and tourism operators were dependent not only financially on the GBR, but also because of their age, years in the industry and region, lack of education, and the number of dependents. These stakeholders lacked flexibility to secure alternative employment. All stakeholder groups, regardless of economic imperatives, were dependent on the GBR because of their cultural connections. We propose that resource dependency also provides an umbrella concept to describe the cultural services provided by an ecosystem, which can be described through place-based dependence and place-identity.
The NERP Tropical Ecosystem Hub addresses issues of concern for the management, conservation and ... more The NERP Tropical Ecosystem Hub addresses issues of concern for the management, conservation and sustainable use of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and its catchments, tropical rainforests including the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (WTWHA), and the terrestrial and marine assets underpinning resilient communities in the Torres Strait, through the generation and transfer of world-class research and shared knowledge.
• The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is Australia's most inspiring landmark (amongst all the attraction... more • The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is Australia's most inspiring landmark (amongst all the attractions tested in this research). More than 90% of respondents listed the GBR as 'inspiring' during the September survey. • The strongest associations with the GBR are overwhelmingly positive (>80% of responses): beauty, coral and fish are amongst the most common associations. • The vast majority of Australians either want to visit the GBR in the future, or have done so already. Approximately 44% of respondents have visited the GBR, while approximately half of respondents have not yet visited but would like to one day. • When unprompted, respondents think pollution, climate change and people are the three biggest threats to the GBR. • When provided with a list of threats, respondents think that climate change, marine debris and agricultural runoff are the three biggest threats to the GBR. • Respondents are proud of the GBR's World Heritage status. • More than 85% of respondents in the September survey agreed that they "feel proud the GBR is a World Heritage Area." • There is a widespread responsibility to protect the GBR, although individual responsibility is less than the collective responsibility • More than 80% of respondents in the September survey agree that "it is the responsibility of all Australians to protect the GBR" while 63% believe it is their own responsibility to protect the GBR. • The GBR is part of how respondents identity themselves as Australians. • 74% of respondents in the September survey agree that "the GBR is part of my Australian identity."
The possibilities, issues and barriers pertaining to the adaptation of biodiversity to climate ch... more The possibilities, issues and barriers pertaining to the adaptation of biodiversity to climate change show similarities across the different ecosystem types, species and processes of the Wet Tropics Cluster (WTC) region. Many management actions for climate change are the same as those already known to be important to biodiversity management: reduce or eliminate other anthropogenic stressors in order to build integrity and resilience into natural systems and ideally assist them to withstand the future pressures associated with climate change. However, climate change will also involve different approaches in many respects including facilitating change, especially the movement of species and ecosystems as they track suitable climate and conditions. In addition, 'in situ' conservation-managing species in their habitat, or facilitating their dispersal within the landscape-will be less expensive than 'ex situ' conservation (managing species outside their current range). The key messages associated with each of the topics addressed in this chapter are: TOPIC KEY MESSAGES TOPIC KEY MESSAGES From maintaining ecosystems to enabling adaptation 5. As ecological communities change, it may become more important to identify key processes, communities or functional types that contribute to the persistence of an ecosystem, and focus on protecting those. Conceptual and practical management options for conservation 6. Conservation planning is concerned with where, when and how to act to achieve conservation objectives. Climate change will prove a challenge to current conservation planning, bringing novel conditions, including novel ecosystems, extreme events and unprecedented rates of change. Identifying and protecting key refugia 7. Potentially the most cost-effective solution for biodiversity conservation under climate change is to identify and protect places in the landscape that will harbour many species from the worst impacts of climate change. 8. Refugia need to safeguard long-term population viability. 9. Refugia will need to be within the range of environmental parameters tolerable to species or ecological communities, or accessible if outside their current range. 10. Ideal refugia will provide protection against multiple threats. 11. Four different techniques used to identify refugia highlight the importance of the upland areas of the WTC Region as important refugia. 12. The current protected areas encompass the areas that are known to be important for many species currently in the Australian Wet Tropics (AWT); however they are likely to miss the areas important for species in other parts of Australia that are likely to move into the AWT as a result of climate change. 13. The southern upland rainforest of the AWT, particularly Hinchinbrook Island, Paluma Range and Mt Elliot, emerge as important refugia across all refugia analyses. 14. The east coast of Australia has a high proportion of the area that will be climate change refugia when compared to the rest of Australia. 15. The Australian Wet Tropics Bioregion is likely to be an important area for many species moving from the west and north. 16. Adaptation for freshwater ecosystems must include the identification, protection and management of current and future refugia, especially in areas predicted to remain climatically relatively stable. 17. The WTC region is expected to retain a large proportion of its freshwater biodiversity; therefore has conservation importance at a national level. 18. Identifying refuges specific to freshwater biodiversity will require the consideration of refuge value, including abiotic factors, biotic factors, anthropogenic factors, spatial factors and temporal factors. 19. Systematic conservation planning is an important tool for prioritising areas (e.g. refugia) for protection and restoration. 20. Restoration will need to be a major part of climate adaptation. TOPIC KEY MESSAGES Reproduction in vegetation communities 39. Adaptation management actions will require a holistic approach, with the most cost-effective actions occurring for species in-situ. Ex-situ actions, for the most threatened species, may include seedbanking, genetic supplementation and/or assisted colonisation/dispersal and buyback of sites. 40. The risks and benefits of adaptations should be taken into account, particularly with actions such as assisted gene flow. Seed-based risk assessment could be an option for some species from the WTC Region. 41. Fire could be used as a management tool to promote seed germination in species adapted to a fireprone landscape, with a 'sprouting' life-history strategy, but timing and frequency of burning should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Adaptation for important species and communities 42. Adaptation options for marine turtles are mainly consistent with a reduction in other more immediate impacts. 43. Protecting nesting beaches is the most cost-effective strategy of increasing turtle populations. 44. A number of options exist to safeguard the most important nesting beaches from beach loss and inundation, effectively providing a buffer zone. Adaptation options will need to be tailored to individual beaches and the particular threats they face. 45. Maintaining connectivity to suitable nesting habitat near existing nesting beaches, especially inland, will make a considerable difference to the capacity for nesting turtles to adapt to sea level rise. 46. The identification and protection of turtle feeding grounds will also provide an important buffer to changing climate conditions. 47. Reductions in direct mortality of turtles from boat strike, fisheries by-catch, plastic debris and disease must be controlled, and stranded turtle rehabilitation need to continue. 48. Protecting dugong feeding habitat and reducing direct anthropogenic mortality should be the priorities of any adaptation program. 49. Dugong mortality can be minimised through fishing closures, gear modification and boating restrictions. 50. Creating protected areas achieves rehabilitation of coral reef systems. 51. The benefits of restoring coral reefs currently outweigh the costs, except at very localised scales. Opportunities for improving restoration options should be considered, as this may be increasingly necessary in the future. 52. Structural complexity is the most important restoration focus for coral reef communities. 53. Identifying future refugia for coral reef organisms, or even whole coral reef communities, will be a crucial factor in assisting coral reef adaptation to climate change. 54. Inshore reefs of the GBR are urgently in need of improved water quality management, both at the catchment scale and locally (e.g. around ports). 55. Many of the required strategies for adapting to climate change in the Torres Strait will ultimately protect both human populations and ecosystems. 56. For islands large enough to benefit from conservation actions, adaptation measures will be similar to those described for coastal assemblages turtles, dugongs, seagrass beds and coral reefs. 57. Due to their flying large distances, adaptation strategies for flying-foxes will need to be considered Adaptation Pathways and Opportunities for the Wet Tropics NRM Cluster region 15 TOPIC KEY MESSAGES via a whole-landscape approach. 58. The increasing urbanisation of flying-fox camps will need to be managed through public education and when non-lethal dispersals occur the impacts will need to be closely monitored. 59. The greatest limiting factor for flying-fox persistence in the future is the quality and availability of food resources. Adaptation planning for these species should start with a good understanding of spatial and temporal resource distribution. 60. Species-specific adaptation actions for birds will need to take into account life history and ecology, but general management to increase the adaptive capacity of the entire WTC Region will benefit a suite of species. 61. The most important adaptation actions for birds will be managing current stressors, and in situ management including refugia identification and protection. Expensive ex situ options such as captive breeding and assisted migration should be considered a last option. 62. Landscape connectivity will greatly improve the cassowary's chances of survival. Monitoring adaptation outcomes 63. Adaptation actions will require monitoring to ascertain whether they have produced desirable outcomes and to inform changes that may be required; ideally, monitoring should be embedded within an adaptive management framework. 64. Monitoring programs should be initiated with a specific objective, or set of objectives, in mind. 65. Monitoring should be embedded within a framework that involves scientists, management agencies, funding agencies and government. 66. The power to detect changes depends on the sampling design, methods, timing and frequency of the monitoring program. 67. Communication is the key link in all steps of embedding monitoring within an adaptive management framework. Summary and conclusions 68. Ignorance and misinformation of the general public is a major obstacle at all levels, leading to disinterest and inertia, and supporting a continued lack of political will. Monetary cost is the most common perceived barrier to adaptation actions. 69. Conservation messages fail to capture the role of market mechanisms in persuading the public and governing bodies of the benefit and urgency of climate change adaptation.
• The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is Australia's most inspiring landmark (amongst all the attraction... more • The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is Australia's most inspiring landmark (amongst all the attractions tested in this research). More than 90% of respondents listed the GBR as 'inspiring' during the September survey. • The strongest associations with the GBR are overwhelmingly positive (>80% of responses): beauty, coral and fish are amongst the most common associations. • The vast majority of Australians either want to visit the GBR in the future, or have done so already. Approximately 44% of respondents have visited the GBR, while approximately half of respondents have not yet visited but would like to one day. • When unprompted, respondents think pollution, climate change and people are the three biggest threats to the GBR. • When provided with a list of threats, respondents think that climate change, marine debris and agricultural runoff are the three biggest threats to the GBR. • Respondents are proud of the GBR's World Heritage status. • More than 85% of respondents in the September survey agreed that they "feel proud the GBR is a World Heritage Area." • There is a widespread responsibility to protect the GBR, although individual responsibility is less than the collective responsibility • More than 80% of respondents in the September survey agree that "it is the responsibility of all Australians to protect the GBR" while 63% believe it is their own responsibility to protect the GBR. • The GBR is part of how respondents identity themselves as Australians. • 74% of respondents in the September survey agree that "the GBR is part of my Australian identity."
In this chapter, we compile climate change adaptation options for ecosystem services for the Wet ... more In this chapter, we compile climate change adaptation options for ecosystem services for the Wet Tropics Cluster (WTC) region, derived from the Australian literature and elsewhere. We focus particularly on water regulation, climate regulation, carbon sequestration, agricultural production, timber production, habitat provision, erosion control, and traditional values. We also discuss emerging opportunities that may become available in WTC region in the future, bring together the limitations and constraints of current payments for carbon abatement and discuss possible ways to establish payments for ecosystem services through examination of examples from across the world that may be applied to the WTC region. Finally, we discuss the barriers to climate adaptation in regard to ecosystem services. The key messages associated with each of the topics addressed in this chapter are: 78. Re-establishing native vegetation in beaches, dunes and barrier Islands will increase the climate adaptation potential of these systems. Carbon sequestration 79. There is high potential for more carbon sequestration and storage through improved management practices, environmental planting, mixed farming and land rehabilitation. 80. Native species with relatively high wood density and slow growth rates are more likely to store carbon for a long time. 81. There should be consideration of potential limitations to C sequestration on rangelands. Habitat provision for biodiversity 82. Integrated farm management has potential benefits for biodiversity as well as farm productivity. 83. Ongoing and enhanced invasive species management is required. Timber provision 84. More emphasis on cyclone-resistant tree species is required. 85. Forest management practices may affect climate change resilience. 86. Opportunities to increase growth rates due to elevated CO 2 should be taken advantage of where practical. Traditional values 87. Incorporating local and Indigenous knowledge in formal decision-making about ecosystem services and climate change adaptation is important. 88. Enhancing Indigenous adaptation options and community-based adaptation is useful. 89. Strong linkages between local knowledge and formal science are required. Marine ecosystem services 90. Maintaining continuous native vegetation cover in the terrestrial ecosystems will reduce some stressors on the Reef and will increase its resilience to climate change. Barriers in current mechanisms 91. Lack of sufficient funding is an ongoing concern. 92. Frequent government policy shifts are not helpful. 93. Complexity of methods and approaches is discouraging for many stakeholders. 94. Uptake of adaptation measures depend on attitudes beliefs and perceptions about climate change by members of the society and their level of exposure to mass media. Mechanisms for establishing payments for ecosystem services 95. An appropriate process is required for payment for ecosystem services.
Multiple ecosystem services supply across three forest types was evaluated. • The supplies were h... more Multiple ecosystem services supply across three forest types was evaluated. • The supplies were highest in rainforests followed by rehabilitated and sclerophyll forests. • Global climate regulation had synergies but nutrient regulation had trade-offs impact. • Two synergy groups and one trade-off group were identified. • Three integrated pathways were recommended to sustain the supply of multiple ecosystem services.
Ecosystem services are the bridge between nature and society, and are essential elements of commu... more Ecosystem services are the bridge between nature and society, and are essential elements of community well-being. The Wet Tropics Australia, is environmentally and biologically diverse, and supplies numerous ecosystem services. It contributes to the community well-being of this region, Australian national economy and global climate change mitigation efforts. However, the ecosystem services in the region have rarely been assessed undermining strategic landscape planning to sustain their future flow. In this study, we attempted to: (i) assess the quantity of five regulating ecosystem services – global climate regulation, air quality regulation, erosion regulation, nutrient regulation, and cyclone protection, and three provisioning ecosystem services – habitat provision, energy provision and timber provision across rainforests, sclerophyll forests and rehabilitated plantation forests; (ii) evaluate the variation of supply of those regulating and provisioning ecosystem services across environmental gradients, such as rainfall, temperature, and elevation; (iii) show the relationships among those ecosystem services; and (iv) identify the hotspots of single and multiple ecosystem services supply across the landscape. The results showed that rainforests possess a very high capacity to supply single and multiple ecosystem services, and the hotspots for most of the regulating and provisioning ecosystem services are found in upland rainforest followed by lowland rainforest, and upland sclerophyll forest. Elevation, rainfall and temperature gradients along with forest structure are the main determinant factors for the quantity of ecosystem services supplied across the three forest types. The correlation among ecosystem services may be positive or negative depending on the ecosystem service category and vegetation type. The rehabilitated plantation forests may provide some ecosystem services comparable to the rainforest. The results demonstrated disturbance regimes (such as tropical cyclones) may have influenced the usual spatial trend of ecosystem service values. This study will assist decision makers in incorporating ecosystem services into their natural resource management planning, and for practitioners to identify the areas with higher values of specific and multiple ecosystem services.
Tropical forests are the storehouse of both ecosystem services and biodiversity but the interlink... more Tropical forests are the storehouse of both ecosystem services and biodiversity but the interlinkages between these two components of ecosystems are yet to be fully explored. We utilized expert opinion to assess the key and multiple ecosystem services, and biodiversity in a tropical landscape. We found that key and multiple ecosystem services supply varies across the landscape and that forest disturbances reduce the capacity to supply those ecosystem services. We also found that a spatial congruence is likely to occurs between high-potential biodiversity and high-potential global climate regulation ecosystem service in the intact rainforest areas while a spatial divergence is likely to occurs in the sclerophyll and other disturbed and low tree abundance forested areas. Overall in a tropical forested landscape, a spatial congruence between high-potential multiple ecosystem services supply and high-potential biodiversity values is likely to occurs provided that the multiple ecosystem services are forest-based. Along with conserving relatively intact forests, management intervention priorities should focus on increasing tree abundance both in non-tree vegetated land cover areas and within disturbed forested areas to increase the high-potential multiple ecosystem services supply at the landscape level. A careful selection of multiple ecosystem services is required to integrate both high-potential multiple ecosystem services and high-potential biodiversity in tropical forest management.
Climate change alters the functions of ecosystems and as a result, the provision of ecosystem ser... more Climate change alters the functions of ecosystems and as a result, the provision of ecosystem services and wellbeing of people that rely on these services. The concept of ecosystem services is aimed at supporting this broad and open dialogue in ways that allow potential synergies and tradeoffs among social, economic and ecological objectives to be identified and addressed with due reference to the multiple perceptions that people have about benefits and beneficiaries from the environment. In this paper we discuss insights about the impacts of climate change on key regional ecosystem services for the Wet Tropics. Syntheses of published ideas and approaches are presented with key climate change messages for NRM groups to enable them to incorporate into their new regional plans for the Wet Tropics Cluster Region.
While many regions across the globe are vulnerable to climate change (Hare, Cramer, Schaeffer, Ba... more While many regions across the globe are vulnerable to climate change (Hare, Cramer, Schaeffer, Battaglini, & Jaeger, 2011), planning for climate change adaptation has tended to focus its efforts on biophysical and engineering adaption responses (Stanley, 2010). The social dimension of these kinds of adaptation responses is typically framed around inclusive citizen participation (Chu, Anguelovski, & Carmin, 2016) or community-based governance approaches to climate planning (Forsyth, 2013). For vulnerable groups and geographies exposed to the more frequent and severe effects of climate change, however, broader social adaptations are needed to enable them to participate in and take effective leadership of climate adaptation outcomes (Chu et al., 2016; Dodman & Mitlin, 2013; Warrick, 2011).
Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits community receive from ecosystems. The necessity of ES f... more Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits community receive from ecosystems. The necessity of ES for community well-being and sustainable development is universally accepted. ES have already been negatively impacted by climate change and will only deteriorate further during this century, if adequate adaptation measures are not taken. Noting ES are a relatively new dimension in the context of climate change, globally scientists and policy makers are busy searching for suitable adaptation options and ensuring an uninterrupted flow of ES. In this study, we have used climate change models, and synthesized the scholarly findings to answer two research questions (i) Why are ES based adaptations required? and (ii) What types of suitable adaptation options are available to ensure an uninterrupted supply (and flow) of ES? The study has been conducted in the Wet Tropics, Australia considering its outstanding national and global ecological significance. Our study has revealed that apart from th...
Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 2020
This Article explores the spectacular prevalence, and failure, of the single most common techniqu... more This Article explores the spectacular prevalence, and failure, of the single most common technique for protecting personal autonomy in modern society: mandated disclosure. The Article has four Parts: (1) a comprehensive summary of the recurring use of mandated disclosures, in many forms and circumstances, in the areas of consumer and borrower protection, patient informed consent, contract formation, and constitutional rights; (2) a survey of the empirical literature documenting the failure of the mandated disclosure regime in informing people and in improving their decisions; (3) an account of the multitude of reasons mandated disclosures fail, focusing on the political dynamics underlying the enactments of these mandates, the incentives of disclosers to carry them out, and, most importantly, on the ability of disclosees to use them; and (4) an argument that mandated disclosure not only fails to achieve its stated goal but also leads to unintended consequences that often harm the very people it intends to serve.
Managing human use of ecosystems in an era of rapid environmental change requires an understandin... more Managing human use of ecosystems in an era of rapid environmental change requires an understanding of diverse stakeholders’ behaviors and perceptions to enable effective prioritization of actions to mitigate multiple threats. Specifically, research examining how threat perceptions are shared or diverge among stakeholder groups and how these can evolve through time is increasingly important. We investigated environmental threat perceptions related to Australia's Great Barrier Reef and explored their associations before and after consecutive years of mass coral bleaching. We used data from surveys of commercial fishers, tourism operators, and coastal residents (n = 5254) conducted in 2013 and 2017. Threats perceived as most serious differed substantially among groups before bleaching but were strongly aligned after bleaching. Climate change became the most frequently reported threat by all stakeholder groups following the coral bleaching events, and perceptions of fishing and poor...
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are effective resource management and conservation measures, but th... more Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are effective resource management and conservation measures, but their success is often hindered by non-compliant activities such as poaching. Understanding the risk factors and spatial patterns of poaching is therefore crucial for efficient law enforcement. Here, we conducted explanatory and predictive modelling of poaching from recreational fishers within no-take zones of Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) using Boosted Regression Trees (BRT). Combining patrol effort data, observed distribution of reported incidents, and spatially-explicit environmental and human risk factors, we modeled the occurrence probability of poaching incidents and mapped poaching risk at fine-scale. Our results: (i) show that fishing attractiveness, accessibility and fishing capacity play a major role in shaping the spatial patterns of poaching; (ii) revealed key interactions among these risk factors as well as tipping points beyond which poaching risk increased or decreased markedly; and (iii) highlight gaps in patrol effort that could be filled for improved resource allocation. The approach developed through this study provide a novel way to quantify the relative influence of multiple interacting factors in shaping poaching risk, and hold promises for replication across a broad range of marine or terrestrial settings.
It is well established that ecosystems bring meaning and well-being to individuals, often articul... more It is well established that ecosystems bring meaning and well-being to individuals, often articulated through attachment to place. Degradation and threats to places and ecosystems have been shown to lead to loss of well-being. Here, we suggest that the interactions between ecosystem loss and declining well-being may involve both emotional responses associated with grief, and with observable impacts on mental health. We test these ideas on so-called ecological grief by examining individual emotional response to well-documented and publicized ecological degradation: coral bleaching and mortality in the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. The study focuses both on one off events of coral loss and the prospect of continuing decline on the self-reported well-being of residents living within the ecosystem, visitors, and those whose livelihood is dependent on the marine resource: data from face-to-face surveys of 1870 local residents, 1804 tourists, and telephone surveys of 91 fishers and 94 tourism operators. We hypothesise that the extent to which individuals experience ecological grief is dependent on the meanings or intrinsic values (such as aesthetic, scientific, or biodiversity-based values), and is moderated by their place attachment, place identity, lifestyle dependence, place-based pride, and derived well-being. Results show that around half of residents, tourists and tourist operators surveyed, and almost one quarter of fishers, report significant Reef Grief. Reef Grief is closely and positively associated with place meanings within resident and tourist populations. By contrast respondents who rated high aesthetic value of the coral ecosystem report lower levels of Reef Grief. These findings have significant implications for how individuals and populations experience ecosystem decline and loss within places that are meaningful to them. Given inevitable cumulative future impacts on ecosystems from committed climate change impacts, understanding and managing ecological grief will become increasingly important. This study seeks to lay conceptual and theoretical foundations to identify how ecological grief is manifest and related to meaningful places and the social distribution of such grief across society.
In the version of this Analysis originally published, the name of the author Elisa Oteros-Rozas w... more In the version of this Analysis originally published, the name of the author Elisa Oteros-Rozas was incorrectly given as 'Elisa Oteros-Roza'. This has now been corrected.
Pollinators underpin sustainable livelihoods that link ecosystems, spiritual and cultural values,... more Pollinators underpin sustainable livelihoods that link ecosystems, spiritual and cultural values, and customary governance systems with indigenous peoples a and local communities (IPLC) across the world. Biocultural diversity is a shorthand term for this great variety of people-nature interlinkages that have developed over time in specific ecosystems. Biocultural approaches to conservation explicitly build on the conservation practices inherent in sustaining these livelihoods. We used the Conceptual Framework of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services to analyse the biocultural approaches to pollinator conservation by indigenous peoples and local communities globally. The analysis identified biocultural approaches to pollinators across all six elements of the Conceptual Framework, with conservation-related practices occurring in sixty countries, in all continents except Antarctica. Practices of IPLC that are significant for biocultural approaches to pollinator conservation can be grouped into three categories: the practice of valuing diversity and fostering biocultural diversity; landscape management practices; and diversified farming systems. Particular IPLCs may use some or all of these practices. Policies that recognise customary tenure over traditional lands, strengthen Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas, promote heritage listing and support diversified farming within a food sovereignty approach, are among several identified that strengthen biocultural approaches to pollinator conservation, and thereby deliver mutual benefits for pollinators and people. a Here we follow the global norm of using lower case for "indigenous" while recognising the norm in Australia and New Zealand is to use upper case, following Johnson, J.T. et al. (2007) Creating anti-colonial geographies: Embracing indigenous peoples' knowledges and rights. Geographical Research 45 (2), 117-120.
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planetary boundaries. Water scarcity is self-evidently one of the key factors that will limit food production. This is especially the case in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where malnutrition and food insecurity are already widespread. In these areas, the livelihoods and well-being of poor communities are critically
dependent on their farm produce and the ecosystem services from the local landscape that support their livelihoods and income.
This background document and synthesis on An Ecosystem Services Approach to Water and Food Security is part of UNEP’s contribution to the global food crisis, pledged to the United Nations Secretary-General and developed in collaboration
with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and other partners. Together, we identified and explored the links between ecosystems, water and food, and illustrate how resilient ecosystems can support and increase food security.
It is clear that enormous opportunities exist to increase food production in ways that make optimal and sustainable use of water and other resources. This means that we can feed a global population without massive and irreversible damage to our
ecosystems. It also means that ensuring food security, managing water resources and protecting ecosystems must be considered as a single policy rather than as separate, and sometimes competing, choices.
This approach calls for a fundamental shift in perspective and a deeper understanding of the enormous economic importance of ecosystems and the broad suite of services they provide. For
example, well-managed agroecosystems not only provide food, fiber and animal products, they also generate services such as flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, erosion control and habitats for plants, birds, fish and other animals.It also requires intersectoral collaboration, because only then can policies and practices change. The overarching recommendation of this synthesis is that future sustainability requires an integrated approach to managing multipurpose agroecosystems in a
landscape or river basin setting. These ecosystems–whether they are wetlands or forests, arid pastoral lands or rice fields–represent the future of food security and resilience against
shocks while offering a way towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and beyond.
This document does not come in isolation. It is also a
contribution to UNEP’s wider work and partnership on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) and a transition to a low-carbon, resourceefficient Green Economy. Together they are all part of the urgency to evolve the sustainable development agenda forged in a previous century to reflect the new challenges and also the emerging opportunities of the 21st century.
the case in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where malnutrition and food insecurity are already widespread. In these areas, the livelihoods and well-being of poor communities are critically dependent on their farm produce and the ecosystem services from the local landscape that support their livelihoods and income.
This synthesis and background document on Ecosystems for Water and Food Security is part of UNEP’s contribution to the global food crisis, pledged to the United Nations Secretary-General and developed in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and other partners. Together, we identified and explored the links between ecosystems, water and food, and illustrate how resilient ecosystems can support and increase food security. It is clear that enormous opportunities exist to increase food production in ways that make optimal and sustainable use of water and other resources. This means that we can feed a global population
without massive and irreversible damage to our ecosystems. It also means that ensuring food security, managing water resources and protecting ecosystems must be considered as a single policy rather than as separate, and sometimes competing, choices.
Papers by Petina Pert
planetary boundaries. Water scarcity is self-evidently one of the key factors that will limit food production. This is especially the case in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where malnutrition and food insecurity are already widespread. In these areas, the livelihoods and well-being of poor communities are critically
dependent on their farm produce and the ecosystem services from the local landscape that support their livelihoods and income.
This background document and synthesis on An Ecosystem Services Approach to Water and Food Security is part of UNEP’s contribution to the global food crisis, pledged to the United Nations Secretary-General and developed in collaboration
with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and other partners. Together, we identified and explored the links between ecosystems, water and food, and illustrate how resilient ecosystems can support and increase food security.
It is clear that enormous opportunities exist to increase food production in ways that make optimal and sustainable use of water and other resources. This means that we can feed a global population without massive and irreversible damage to our
ecosystems. It also means that ensuring food security, managing water resources and protecting ecosystems must be considered as a single policy rather than as separate, and sometimes competing, choices.
This approach calls for a fundamental shift in perspective and a deeper understanding of the enormous economic importance of ecosystems and the broad suite of services they provide. For
example, well-managed agroecosystems not only provide food, fiber and animal products, they also generate services such as flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, erosion control and habitats for plants, birds, fish and other animals.It also requires intersectoral collaboration, because only then can policies and practices change. The overarching recommendation of this synthesis is that future sustainability requires an integrated approach to managing multipurpose agroecosystems in a
landscape or river basin setting. These ecosystems–whether they are wetlands or forests, arid pastoral lands or rice fields–represent the future of food security and resilience against
shocks while offering a way towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and beyond.
This document does not come in isolation. It is also a
contribution to UNEP’s wider work and partnership on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) and a transition to a low-carbon, resourceefficient Green Economy. Together they are all part of the urgency to evolve the sustainable development agenda forged in a previous century to reflect the new challenges and also the emerging opportunities of the 21st century.
the case in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where malnutrition and food insecurity are already widespread. In these areas, the livelihoods and well-being of poor communities are critically dependent on their farm produce and the ecosystem services from the local landscape that support their livelihoods and income.
This synthesis and background document on Ecosystems for Water and Food Security is part of UNEP’s contribution to the global food crisis, pledged to the United Nations Secretary-General and developed in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and other partners. Together, we identified and explored the links between ecosystems, water and food, and illustrate how resilient ecosystems can support and increase food security. It is clear that enormous opportunities exist to increase food production in ways that make optimal and sustainable use of water and other resources. This means that we can feed a global population
without massive and irreversible damage to our ecosystems. It also means that ensuring food security, managing water resources and protecting ecosystems must be considered as a single policy rather than as separate, and sometimes competing, choices.