Ecosystems and Human Well-Being
A Framework For Assessment
Ecosystems and Human Well-being is the first product of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), a four-year international work program designed to meet the needs of decision-makers for scientific information on the links between ecosystem change and human well-being. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is modeled on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and will provide information requested by governments, through four international conventions, as well as meeting needs within the private sector and civil society. Ecosystems and Human Well-being offers an overview of the assessment, describing the conceptual framework that is being used, defining its scope and providing a baseline of understanding that all participants need to move forward.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment focuses on how humans have altered ecosystems, and how changes in ecosystems have affected human well-being. The assessment also evaluates how ecosystem changes may affect people in future decades and what responses can be adopted at local, national, or global scales to improve ecosystem management and thereby contribute to human well-being and poverty alleviation. The assessment was launched by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in June 2001, and the primary assessment reports will be released by Island Press in 2005.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment series is an invaluable new resource for professionals and policy-makers concerned with international development, environmental science, environmental policy, and related fields. It will help both in choosing among existing options and in identifying new approaches for achieving integrated management of land, water, and living resources while strengthening regional, national, and local capacities. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment series will also improve policy and decision-making at all levels by increasing collaboration between natural and social scientists, and between scientists and policy-makers. Ecosystems and Human Well-being is an essential introduction to the program.
Acknowledgments
Summary for Decision-makers
Chapter 1. Introduction and Conceptual Framework
-Introduction
-Overview of Conceptual Framework
-The Multiscale Approach
-Types of Knowledge Assessed
-Minimizing Structural Biases
-Use in Decision-making
Chapter 2. Ecosystems and their Services
-Introduction
-Ecosystems Boundaries and Categories
-Ecosystem Services
-Provisioning Services, Regulating Services, Cultural Services, Supporting Services, A Multisectoral Approach
-Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
-Ecosystem Condition and Sustainable Use
-Flows of Provisioning Services, Condition of Regulating, Cultural, and Supporting Services,
-Variability, Resilience, and Thresholds in Services, Ecosystem Health and Other Related
-Concepts, Substitution of Services
Chapter 3. Ecosystems and Human Well-being
-Introduction
-Key Components of Human Well-being
-Linkages Between Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being
-Substitutability and Well-being
-Balancing Priorities: Present Versus Future
-Institutions and Freedoms
-Conclusion
Chapter 4. Drivers of Change in Ecosystems and their Services
-Introduction
-Previous Approaches on the Factors of Change
-Drivers: An Overview
-The Decision-maker Within the Ecosystem
-Ecosystem Consequences of Decisions Outside an Ecosystem
-Drivers of Ecosystem Change
-Demographic Drivers, Economic Drivers, Sociopolitical Drivers, Scientific and Technological
-Drivers, Drivers Determined by Cultural and Religious Values, Physical, Biological, and Chemical Drivers
-Interactions Among Drivers
Chapter 5. Dealing with Scale
-Introduction
-Why Scale Matters
-Changing Scales
-Space and Time Domains
-Inertia in Human and Ecological Systems
-Viewing a Particular Scale in Context
-Scales in Ecological and Human Systems
-Scale and Policy
-Politics of Scale, Institutional Fit and Interplay
-Guidance for Multiscale Assessments
-Choosing the Appropriate Scales, Resolutions, and Boundaries, Integration Across Scales
Chapter 6. Concepts of Ecosystem Value and Valuation Approaches
-Introduction
--The Utilitarian Approach and Economic Valuation Methods
-Motivations for Economic Valuation, Total Economic Value, Economic Valuation Methods, Putting Economic Valuation into Practice
-Non-utilitarian Value
-Sociocultural Values, The Intrinsic Value Paradigm, The Interactions of Political and Market
-Metrics
-Conclusion
Chapter 7. Analytical Approaches
-Introduction
-Data
-Challenges in Using Data, Data Quality Assurance, Indicator Selection
-Units of Analysis and Reporting
-Ecosystem Boundaries, Relating Ecological and Human-centered Units, Reporting Units
-Modelling Issues
-Environmental System Models, Human System Models, Integrated Models
-Scenario Analysis
-Scenarios for Ecological Services, Review of Scenario Types and Approaches, The MA
-Approach to Scenario Analysis, Models to Support Scenario Analysis
-Overarching Issues
-Matters of Scale, Review and Validation Procedures, Analysis of Uncertainty
-Conclusions
Chapter 8. Strategic Interventions, Response Options, and Decision-making
-Introduction
-Decision-making Processes
-Response Options and Strategic Interventions
-Usable Knowledge
-Dealing with Risk and Uncertainty
-Decision Analytical Frameworks and Tools
Appendix 1. Chapter Responsibilities
Appendix 2. Reviewers
Appendix 3. List of Acronyms
Appendix 4. Glossary
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