How DO coastal ecosystems support human wellbeing? New SPACES publication on the many mechanisms
A new paper based on SPACES research reports the diverse ways people reported that ecosystem services support different aspects of wellbeing.
The paper discusses these using the capability approach and theory of human needs. The the diverse mechanisms to contribute to wellbeing can be categorised as money, use or experience. Considering all of these mechanisms can inform the development of interventions that aim to protect or improve flows of benefits to people.
See Kate Brown’s reflections on the paper on her blog:
Complete citation:
Chaigneau T, Brown K, Coulthard S, Daw TM, Szaboova L. 2019. Money, use and experience: Identifying the mechanisms through which ecosystem services contribute to wellbeing in coastal Kenya and Mozambique. Ecosystem Services 38:100957.
Link to the paper (open access): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2019.100957
Abstract:
Despite extensive recent research elucidating the complex relationship between ecosystem services and human wellbeing, little work has sought to understand how ecosystem services […]
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SPACES publication: Men and women use, experience and value coastal ecosystem services differently
In this latest publication, Matt Fortnam and coauthors from the SPACES team compiled evidence from across the SPACES datasets to illustrate how people’s engagement with ecosystem services are fundamentally gendered…
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800918301836
See this Stockholm Resilience Centre news item for a summary of the paper:
and in the blog below Kate Brown discusses the paper in the context of the emerging literature on the structures that determine who can benefit from ecosystem services, and how:
Abstract:
This article assesses the extent to which our conceptualisation, understanding and empirical analysis of ecosystem services are inherently gendered; in other words, how they might be biased and unbalanced in terms of their […]
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Linking poverty alleviation and sustainable coastal ecosystems in Mozambique
On the 10th and 11th February, 2015, SPACES ran a two day workshop in Mozambique to improve understanding of poverty alleviation and coastal ecosystems in both urban and rural areas in the coastal region, for both local participants, and the SPACES team. The workshop took place at Pemba Beach Hotel, Pemba, and attracted 27 participants from a wide range of organizations including government, community-based organizations, and non-governmental organizations.
The workshop used tools and methods that facilitated system thinking – thinking about how different parts of the coastal systems are connected, and how change happens over time. The tools also ensured close interactions among the participants and facilitated sharing of knowledge and experience. The two major tools and processes that were used included: