Studies in Ecological Economics – serie

By their adoption of Agenda 21, most of the world's governments have acknowledged the need for sustainable development. This implies that new policies are needed, focusing on economic, social, cultural and ecological goals. At the same time, we also need to solve existing environmental and social problems, and prevent the occurrence of new ones. This volume presents, tests and illustrates a theoretically well-founded procedure for discovering regional opportunities for sustainable development, based on a systems approach to decision making. The procedure takes as its starting point the needs of the people involved, relating these to the measurement of available resources in order to find opportunities for multiple resource use and sustainable development. The needs of future generations and broader communities are taken into account throughout. The book studies regional planning and the implementation of plans, offering guidance and support to parties involved in debates on sustainable development, and improving the quality of their decision making.

Most of the chapters in this volume are authored by staff or associates of the Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE). CSERGE is a research centre sponsored by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), which specialises in interdisciplinary work focussed on environmental management issues. Weare grateful for the long term support that we have received from the ESRC. We would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Ann Dixon and SHin Pearce in the preparation of this volume. vii INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1. ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS AND COASTAL ZONE ECOSYSTEMS' VALUES: AN OVERVIEW. Turner, R. K. , Bateman, I. J. and Adger, W. N. 1. 1 Coastal zone pressure and sustainable management challenges Given the continued intensification of the process of globalisation - involving population growth, population density changes via urbanisation, industrial development, increased trade and capital flows, liberalisation of transnational corporation activity and lifestyle and attitudinal changes - coastal zones and their hydrologically linked catchment areas have come under heavy environmental pressure. The scale and extent of socio-economic activities have profound implications for the now coevolving natural and human systems and their complex interrelationships (Turner, Perrings and Folke, 1997). The consequences of this process of change manifest themselves across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Indeed the juxtaposition of different spatial, functional and temporal scales that is inherent in the catchment-coastal ecosystems-seas/oceans continuum poses particularly difficult challenges for both science and resource management/governance.

This book evaluates local conservation successes of global south in the climate milieu, as an empirical evidence of ‘Bio-rights’ of commons at community-ecosystem interface for sustainable intensification of nature’s goods and services. Bio-rights is a right-based neo-economic conservation paradigm that compensates the opportunity costs incurred in conservation efforts by the marginal communities, living near globally important ecosystems and dependent on it for their livelihood, through payments from environment services. The book would bring forth the true value of circular economic interventions in socio-ecological conservation, shaped through sustainable human interactions with nature. This multilevel study of conservation science serves an interdisciplinary academia, consistent with conventions on climate change, bio-diversity and sustainable development, to establish links between conservation priorities and development objectives. Herein, Bio-rights is introduced as a‘design approach’ for production linked sustainable development, supplemented with case studies from the east.

This book evaluates local conservation successes of global south in the climate milieu, as an empirical evidence of ‘Bio-rights’ of commons at community-ecosystem interface for sustainable intensification of nature’s goods and services. Bio-rights is a right-based neo-economic conservation paradigm that compensates the opportunity costs incurred in conservation efforts by the marginal communities, living near globally important ecosystems and dependent on it for their livelihood, through payments from environment services. The book would bring forth the true value of circular economic interventions in socio-ecological conservation, shaped through sustainable human interactions with nature. This multilevel study of conservation science serves an interdisciplinary academia, consistent with conventions on climate change, bio-diversity and sustainable development, to establish links between conservation priorities and development objectives. Herein, Bio-rights is introduced as a‘design approach’ for production linked sustainable development, supplemented with case studies from the east.

In this open access book, ecological economics and political ecology traditions converge into a single academic school. The book constitutes a common ground where multiple and critical voices are expressed, covering a broad scope of urgent matters at the crossroad between society, economy and the natural environment. The manuscripts composing this compendium offer appealing material for both experienced and younger researchers interested in interdisciplinary exchanges in the field of the social environmental sciences. It combines historical accounts with recent theoretical and empirical developments revolving around the interaction between three foundational notions of the Barcelona School: social metabolism, environmental justice and self-reflective science.

In this open access book, ecological economics and political ecology traditions converge into a single academic school. The book constitutes a common ground where multiple and critical voices are expressed, covering a broad scope of urgent matters at the crossroad between society, economy and the natural environment. The manuscripts composing this compendium offer appealing material for both experienced and younger researchers interested in interdisciplinary exchanges in the field of the social environmental sciences. It combines historical accounts with recent theoretical and empirical developments revolving around the interaction between three foundational notions of the Barcelona School: social metabolism, environmental justice and self-reflective science.

This book applies the ‘ecosystem services’ framework to coastal environments, showing how it could facilitate an adaptive management strategy. The contributors describe a decision support system (DSS) based on the 3 Ps – pluralism, pragmatism and precaution – that leads to a more flexible, ‘learn by doing’ approach to the stewardship of coastal environments. The book lays out a “Balance Sheets Approach” to formatting, interrogating and presenting data and findings. The opening chapter defines coastal zones, their characteristics and natural resources, and describes their complex and dynamic nature. The chapter shows that large-scale trends and pressures have led to a global loss of 50% of marshes, leading to significant declines in biodiversity and habitat. Part I presents a conceptual framework, describes natural science techniques for coastal and shelf modeling, and describes valuation of ecosystem services. Part II outlines practical ecosystem indicators for coastal and marine ecosystem services, reviews literature on valuation of coastal and marine ecosystem services, explores scenarios, outlines marine and coastal ecosystem services data and offers tools for incorporating data into decision-making. PART III offers case studies including one linking the ecosystem services of Marine Protected Areas to benefits in human wellbeing; and another on valuing blue carbon captured by oceans and coastal ecosystems. Also included are a study of managed realignments and the English coastline and their value estimate transferability; and studies of the impact of jellyfish blooms on recreation in the UK and on fisheries in Italy.

This book applies the ‘ecosystem services’ framework to coastal environments, showing how it could facilitate an adaptive management strategy. The contributors describe a decision support system (DSS) based on the 3 Ps – pluralism, pragmatism and precaution – that leads to a more flexible, ‘learn by doing’ approach to the stewardship of coastal environments. The book lays out a “Balance Sheets Approach” to formatting, interrogating and presenting data and findings. The opening chapter defines coastal zones, their characteristics and natural resources, and describes their complex and dynamic nature. The chapter shows that large-scale trends and pressures have led to a global loss of 50% of marshes, leading to significant declines in biodiversity and habitat. Part I presents a conceptual framework, describes natural science techniques for coastal and shelf modeling, and describes valuation of ecosystem services. Part II outlines practical ecosystem indicators for coastal and marine ecosystem services, reviews literature on valuation of coastal and marine ecosystem services, explores scenarios, outlines marine and coastal ecosystem services data and offers tools for incorporating data into decision-making. PART III offers case studies including one linking the ecosystem services of Marine Protected Areas to benefits in human wellbeing; and another on valuing blue carbon captured by oceans and coastal ecosystems. Also included are a study of managed realignments and the English coastline and their value estimate transferability; and studies of the impact of jellyfish blooms on recreation in the UK and on fisheries in Italy.

State of the art in sustainability thinking, inspired by interdisciplinary ideas of ecological economics. This book is focusing on sustainability pathways, new economic theory, democracy and institutions, multidimensional assessment of sustainability, macroeconomic modelling and policies, climate change and renewable energy, resource flows and circular economy, regenerative cities, environmental conflicts and values. It will be helpful for MSc and PhD students in Economics, Management, Environmental Change, Ecological Economics, Development Economics, Sustainability and practitioners in business, international and nongovernmental organizations. Rich, diverse and thought provoking collection of top level contributions, it will help to facilitate the transition towards sustainability and educational reform. A fabulous composition of papers by the authors who really count! Ernst von Weizsäcker, The Club of Rome The authors present a refreshing perspective on the possibilities of human progress in harmony with nature, without the need for economic growth to secure long term human welfare and wise use of nature's services. Extremely relevant. Peter May, Past President, International Society for Ecological Economics and Professor, UFRRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The book goes well beyond the Green Economy, offering arguments and blueprints for a complete makeover of the current economic system. With multi- and interdisciplinary contributions ranging from moderately to fundamentally critical of current economics, it raises fundamental questions of value and power, draws on a wide range of theories, opens the eyes for the historical processes that brought about the current crises and demonstrates the value of ecological, but also classical economic thinking to their solution. If better politics require better theories, this is a must read for academics and decision makers in the time of climate crisis. Joachim Spangenberg, Sustainable Europe Research Institute, SERI Germany e.V.

Natural resources have been a recurring subject of public interest, from the environmental awakening in and the oil crises of the later 20th century, to wide swings in oil prices and increased concern about climate change in the first decades of the 21st century. Standard macroeconomics books treat resources in passing, in an ad hoc manner, if at all. This text integrates resources into the model from the ground up, allowing a more logically consistent understanding of the economic effects of changed resource availability. But the underlying structure remains mostly traditional: a full-employment perspective on the long run and a Keynesian approach to business-cycle fluctuations. This provides an easier adaptation for instructors and gives students the tools to understand economic analysis done in a more conventional framework. The business-cycle material starts with a “natural history” of money to help students see the connections between social and physical phenomena.

State of the art in sustainability thinking, inspired by interdisciplinary ideas of ecological economics. This book is focusing on sustainability pathways, new economic theory, democracy and institutions, multidimensional assessment of sustainability, macroeconomic modelling and policies, climate change and renewable energy, resource flows and circular economy, regenerative cities, environmental conflicts and values. It will be helpful for MSc and PhD students in Economics, Management, Environmental Change, Ecological Economics, Development Economics, Sustainability and practitioners in business, international and nongovernmental organizations. Rich, diverse and thought provoking collection of top level contributions, it will help to facilitate the transition towards sustainability and educational reform. A fabulous composition of papers by the authors who really count! Ernst von Weizsäcker, The Club of Rome The authors present a refreshing perspective on the possibilities of human progress in harmony with nature, without the need for economic growth to secure long term human welfare and wise use of nature's services. Extremely relevant. Peter May, Past President, International Society for Ecological Economics and Professor, UFRRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The book goes well beyond the Green Economy, offering arguments and blueprints for a complete makeover of the current economic system. With multi- and interdisciplinary contributions ranging from moderately to fundamentally critical of current economics, it raises fundamental questions of value and power, draws on a wide range of theories, opens the eyes for the historical processes that brought about the current crises and demonstrates the value of ecological, but also classical economic thinking to their solution. If better politics require better theories, this is a must read for academics and decision makers in the time of climate crisis. Joachim Spangenberg, Sustainable Europe Research Institute, SERI Germany e.V.

Natural resources have been a recurring subject of public interest, from the environmental awakening in and the oil crises of the later 20th century, to wide swings in oil prices and increased concern about climate change in the first decades of the 21st century. Standard macroeconomics books treat resources in passing, in an ad hoc manner, if at all. This text integrates resources into the model from the ground up, allowing a more logically consistent understanding of the economic effects of changed resource availability. But the underlying structure remains mostly traditional: a full-employment perspective on the long run and a Keynesian approach to business-cycle fluctuations. This provides an easier adaptation for instructors and gives students the tools to understand economic analysis done in a more conventional framework. The business-cycle material starts with a “natural history” of money to help students see the connections between social and physical phenomena.

By their adoption of Agenda 21, most of the world's governments have acknowledged the need for sustainable development. This implies that new policies are needed, focusing on economic, social, cultural and ecological goals. At the same time, we also need to solve existing environmental and social problems, and prevent the occurrence of new ones. This volume presents, tests and illustrates a theoretically well-founded procedure for discovering regional opportunities for sustainable development, based on a systems approach to decision making. The procedure takes as its starting point the needs of the people involved, relating these to the measurement of available resources in order to find opportunities for multiple resource use and sustainable development. The needs of future generations and broader communities are taken into account throughout. The book studies regional planning and the implementation of plans, offering guidance and support to parties involved in debates on sustainable development, and improving the quality of their decision making.

This book examines in detail the resource management problems and challenges posed by the intensification of the environmental change process in coastal areas around the globe. The analysis deployed is by and large buttressed by methods and techniques drawn from social science disciplines: economics, geography, and psychology. However, the overall approach adopted is multidisciplinary with additional contributions from the natural sciences and statistics. The key concept developed is that of ecosystem function value diversity and its management policy analogue, ecosystem integrity maintenance, and the consequent sustainable utilisation of coastal system assets. The functioning of healthy ecosystems generates a range of outputs which society values. The individual chapters analyse and evaluate a range of coastal and water resource functions across different temporal and spatial scales.

Founded on the core notion that we have reached a turning point in the governance, and thus the conservation, of ecosystems and the environment, this edited volume features more than 20 original chapters, each informed by the paradigm shift in the sector over the last decade. Where once the emphasis was on strategies for conservation, enacted through instruments of control such as planning and ‘polluter pays’ legislation, more recent developments have shown a shift towards incentive-based arrangements aimed at those responsible for providing the environmental services enabled by such ecosystems. Encouraging shared responsibility for watershed management, developed in Costa Rica, is a prime example, and the various interests involved in its instauration in Java are one of the subjects examined here.

Sustainable development and environmental improvement are often regarded as intrinsically valuable a priori. As a result, the policies by which these goals are to be attained is often inadequately scrutinised. In this book, ecological economics addresses the institutional and policymaking aspects of environmental problems, thus covering a broad socioeconomic research agenda, in contradistinction to mainstream economic approaches. The approach advocated here is open to differing viewpoints on the same issue, sees conflict resolution as a social process, and accepts the need for research into political-economic issues, according a prominent position to the aims of society itself. An in-depth analysis of the policy process is followed in order to understand the pitfalls and barriers that will confront society on the road to sustainable development. Readership: The broad approach advocated will appeal to all involved in environmental problems - decision makers, NGO members, and academic scholars.