Ecosystem Services : From Concept to Practice

Despite the growing popularity of the concept of ecosystem services, policy makers and practitioners continue to struggle with the challenge of translating it into practice. Drawing on a range of interdisciplinary perspectives, this volume takes up the challenge to provide a framework for the effective implementation of simple concepts into complex ecosystem-related decision making. Addressing the measurement, valuation and governance of ecosystem services, the book is specifically designed to guide students and policy-makers from definitions and measurements to applications in terms of policy instruments and governance arrangements. Each chapter discusses key methodological approaches, illustrating their applications at various scales by drawing on case studies from around the world. Presenting a range of perspectives from across many fields, this text ultimately considers the crucial question of how ecosystem service delivery can be safeguarded for generations to come.

Jetske A. Bouma is Senior Environmental Economist at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), VU University Amsterdam, and Senior Policy Researcher at the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency. Her research focusses on the design and evaluation of policy instruments and analysis of the conditions for collective action and self-enforcement. She teaches graduate courses on the governance of ecosystem services and advises policy-makers on the use of policy instruments and decision-making tools.

Pieter J. H. van Beukering is an Associate Professor in the field of environmental economics at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), VU University Amsterdam. Most of his research work takes place in Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Africa, with a strong focus on natural resource management, economic valuation and poverty alleviation. He teaches graduate courses focussing on the valuation of ecosystem services and environmental economics.