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Valuing Nature Network

Programme background

A number of policy-related activities in the UK, Europe and internationally bear witness to the mounting interest in the valuation of biodiversity, other parts of the natural environment and the natural resources and ecosystem services that society derives from these assets.

For example, Defra together with a range of other partners has established the National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) in the UK to analyse the benefits to society and the economy provided by the environment, UNEP is leading a project on The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity (TEEB), there has been a BIS Foresight project on Land Use Futures, and several institutions are now engaged as partners in the Natural Capital Project, based in the US.

However, although rapidly developing on a number of fronts, these projects all face the challenge of how to place a value on the benefits people derive from ecosystem services for which market mechanisms do not exist.

Furthermore, the requirements of the ecosystem services approach generates new challenges for both the natural and social science research communities, to provide mutually compatible information flows and collaborate in novel and innovative ways to address the complexity of issues such as spatial scaling and temporal dynamics.

Added to this, climate change impacts and concerns over food security, with implications for land use, create a new series of drivers of environmental change which challenge the limits of natural science knowledge and social science methodology.

Similarly there is a new awareness of the impact of spatial location upon the value to society of ecosystems; while remote areas may be optimal for biodiversity conservation, it is the urban fringe which holds the greatest potential for recreational benefits. This in turn raises issues of the distributional dimension of ecosystem services; constraints upon access to such services vary markedly across society.

The proposed network will build on and contribute to exiting activities and stimulate collaboration between the relevant science communities and key stakeholders, working to embed science-based understanding of environmental processes into the valuation of ecosystem services.

History

In 2008-09 NERC commissioned scoping studies to provide a review of the state of the science regarding the valuation of biodiversity, natural resources and ecosystem services and how basic underpinning environmental science can be more fully integrated into valuation techniques and methodologies.

The purpose of these studies was to provide information and advice to the NERC Theme Leaders for biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources (SUNR), in order to facilitate the development of detailed plans for research activities in the 2009 theme action plans (TAPs).

Four separate scoping studies were commissioned to review the state of the science in both the wider research community and within the NERC Research and Collaborative Centres.

These scoping studies showed that whilst a range of valuation techniques are used, mostly derived from the social and economic sciences, each of these pose different challenges for environmental sciences where the science-based evaluation is less well developed.

A general problem is that many of the valuations undertaken to date are partial, focusing upon high profile benefits. This focus risks ignoring important benefits that are often indirect and poorly perceived.

In general, the scoping studies revealed that the science base underpinning valuation is at best weak, often inconsistent and sometimes entirely lacking. Whilst there is a growing research community in the UK involved in these activities and in cross-disciplinary research, it is fragmented and diverse.

The scoping studies also revealed a range of gaps and research challenges that fell into two categories, one concerning the research needed to provide better parameterisation - or environmental measures - to inform the valuation methodologies, and one concerning the valuation process itself.

Following on from these scoping studies, a joint action between the biodiversity and SUNR themes was developed to commission a Valuing Nature Network. The key objective of the network being to grow the research capacity in the valuation of biodiversity, natural resources and ecosystem services, by facilitating the development of an integrated inter-disciplinary research community.

Future plans

The Valuing Nature Network was the first phase of an action that went to the NERC Science & Innovation Strategy Board (SISB) in 2009, and funding for this is due to end in March 2013. The second phase is a larger research programme which will be considered by SISB as part of the fourth round of theme action plans. The final decision will be made by NERC Council in May 2013.

NERC plans for this research programme are currently being developed, led by the biodiversity theme leader, but with commitment from other themes - sustainable use of natural resources; Earth system science; environment, pollution & human health; climate system and natural hazards.

This is an interdisciplinary action, with relevance to other funders, stakeholders and businesses. As such, partnerships with other interested organisations will be sought for this research programme.