Ecosystem services & Human Well-being

1. C A I R O U N I V E R S I T Y
F A C U L T Y O F U R B A N & R E G I O N A L P L A N N I N G
Eco-system Services &
Human Well-being
Lecture II
Dr Safaa Ghoneim

3. Ecosystem services?
Ecosystem services are the benefits people
obtain from ecosystems.

9. 2. Regulating ES
 Partial stabilization of climate
 Detoxification and decomposition of wastes
 Cycling and movement of nutrients
 Purification of air and water
 Mitigation of droughts and floods
 Decomposition of wastes
 Pollination of crops and natural vegetation
 Dispersal of seeds
 Cycling and movement of nutrients
 Control of potential agricultural pests
 Maintenance of biodiversity
 Protection of shores by erosion

10. 3. Supporting ES
 Generation and preservation of soils and renewal of
their richness
 Control of the vast majority of potential agricultural
pests
Source: (MEA, 2005, p17)

11. 4. Cultural ES
Also, most if not all human behavior, whether
individual or in groups, is mediated by culture, making
anything we engage in (food, shelter, religion…) a
cultural act dependent on the goods and services
provided by ecosystems.
Source: (MEA, 2005, p17)

12. The aim of
planning &
sustainable
development
….
Ecosystem Services & Human Well-being
WellbeingPoverty
Source: Millennium ecosystem
assessment

13. Ecosystem Services & Human Well-being
Source: (MEA, 2005)

14. Extra-ordinary Change
• Humans have made extraordinary changes to
ecosystems in recent decades to meet growing
demands for food, fresh water, fiber, and energy

15. Extraordinary Change
• These changes have helped to improve the lives of
billions, but at the same time they weakened
nature’s ability to deliver other key services such
as purification of air and water, protection from
disasters, and the provision of medicines
• The pressures on ecosystems will increase
globally in coming decades unless human attitudes
and actions change

16. Ex. Of Problems
 The terrible state of many of the world’s fish stocks;
 the intense vulnerability of the 2 billion people living in
dry regions to the loss of ecosystem services, including
water supply; and
 the growing threat to ecosystems from climate change
and nutrient pollution.

17. Ecosystem services
Structure
&
Processes
Functions
Services
Values
Policy
Pressures

18. The issue
 Regulating and supporting services are
undervalued by society.
 Many human-initiated disturbances of ecosystems
are difficult or impossible to reverse on a “human
relevant” timescale.
 A continued lack of awareness will dramatically
alter the Earth’s remaining natural ecosystems
within a few decades.

19. Ecosystem Services Assessment /
Evaluation

20. ES
...
ES
...
StageI:Establish
guideb
StageII:AssessmentofEcosystemServices
ES(a)ind.1
Get the reference indicator
value
Data collection & mapping
The Domain Guidebook
Main boundaries for
assessment
Results of the scoping
stage of the suggested EA-
PMCW
ES(a)ind.2
ES(a)ind.3
ES(a)ind..
Measuring and recording
indicators into individual
GIS Layers
special
boundaries
?
For each ESA
indicator
No
Yes
Get guidelines of measuring
Assessment of
Ecosystem
Service (a)
ES......
ES......
ES......
ES
...
ESnInd1
ESnInd2
ESnInd3
ESnInd..
ES......
ES......
ES
...
ES......
ES......
ES......
ES......
Assessment of
GIS Weighted
overlay
ES
...
Feed
back&
update
Weightsoftheecosystemservices
ES......
Setting
reference
values of
indicators of
each ecosystem
service of
wetland class
(a)
special ESA
guidelines
reflecting
the
particularity
of wetland
class (a)
Setting
reference
values of
indicators of
each ecosystem
service of
wetland class
(b)
special ESA
guidelines
reflecting
the
particularity
of wetland
class (b)
Setting
reference
values......
wetland
class (...)
special
ESA
guide-
lines of
wetland
class (....)
GIS layers classifying the wetland into subareas
according to each evaluated ecosystem service
indicator
Evaluated GIS Layer (using
weights relative to the
reference)
ES
...
ES......
ES......
GIS
overlay
GIS ... GIS ... GIS ... GIS ... GIS ... GIS
overlay
ES
...
ES
...
ES
...
Assessment of
Ecosystem
Service (z)
ES
...
ES
...
Assessment ofAssessment ofAssessment of
GIS Weighted
overlay
GIS Weighted
overlay
GIS Weighted
overlay

21. Main Ecosystem Values
Ecological values
Socio-cultural values
Economic values

22. Ecosystem Values
Economic Value Ecological Value
Ecosystem Services
Socio-cultural Value
RegulatingProvisioning Cultural Supporting
Human well-being
Determine