last news from besafe-project.net http://www.besafe-project.net Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:00:39 +0200 WebDesign LTD. FeedCreator http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=181 01 March 2016

Biodiversity decline is a fact, but how can society be convinced of the benefits of biodiversity for human well being and of the necessity of further protective action? Through its lifetime BESAFE addressed this challenge to produce guidance that can help improve the way we use arguments for conservation and convincingly demonstrate the value of biodiversity to decision-makers. Two key outputs of the project are the final brochure "How to Argue for Biodiversity Conservation More Effectively: Recommendations from the BESAFE project", including key conclusions from project publications and case studies, and an interactive online tool, which can lead stakeholders to the relevant information in a few mouse clicks. Key recommendations of BESAFE featured in these resources are: - The success of a more integrated approach depends on stakeholder engagement. A top-down policy framework that sets goals for the protection of particular sites and species is important, but it is not enough to prevent biodiversity loss. - An integrated approach, seeking to 'mainstream' biodiversity concerns across all policy sectors (e.g. agriculture, forestry, water, energy, transport and urban planning) is needed. - Promote bottom-up initiatives at the local level. All stakeholders need to be actively involved in the decision-making process, which should facilitate building trust and working towards generally agreed and accepted solutions. - Tailor arguments to the audience. Argum...]]> Tue, 01 Mar 2016 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=180 02 December 2015

Every year the Flemish government organize a ‘train-your-colleague’ week. During that week professionals from various fields of expertise and policy domains provide training sessions to interested colleagues. After the final BESAFE conference, INBO as a member of the BESAFE consortium was solicited to provide a 2h session on argument mapping for policymakers. Using argument maps policymakers can gain insights on the range and types of arguments used by stakeholders and consequently tailor relevant responses to stakeholders concerns. It also allows them to structure meetings on complex issues and facilitate inter-agency communication. Participants to the session came from various governmental agencies such as the Nature and Forest Agency, Child & Family, Spatial Planning, Enterprise Flanders, etc. During the session the potential benefits of using argument maps in policy were outlined and discussed, and basic argument mapping skills were taught and tested by participants using practical examples.]]> Wed, 02 Dec 2015 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=179 27 August 2015

Despite growing evidence that biodiversity is essential for human well-being, it continues to decline. To reverse the trend, society needs to be more convinced that further protective action is necessary. The BESAFE project addressed this challenge by analysing the effectiveness of different arguments for biodiversity conservation in a range of situations. It produced guidance that can help improve the way we use arguments for conservation and, thus, convincingly demonstrate the value of biodiversity to decision-makers. The main conclusions and recommendations of the project are now collected in the project's final brochure "How to Argue for Biodiversity Conservation More Effectively: Recommendations from the BESAFE project". The final brochure is available to download from the Policy User Corner: http://www.besafe.pensoft.net/page.php?P=45 ]]> Thu, 27 Aug 2015 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=176 29 June 2015

During an Ecosystem Knowledge Network webinar "Good grounds: making the case for nature locally and nationally. 25th June 2015" that took place on 25 June 2015 Dr Pam Berry introduced the findings from the BESAFE Project - a three year research programme funded by the European Commission that has investigated the range of arguments that people use in favour of protecting and restoring 'biodiversity'. Dr Berry, a senior staff member at Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute, has been one of a network of BESAFE researchers on the topic across Europe. Participants learned about the range of arguments in circulation and the contexts in which some work better than others. A recording of the webinar is now availabel here: http://bit.ly/1GV4GfN]]> Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=177 22 June 2015

The joint BESAFE/BIOMOT Conference “Motivations and arguments to act for biodiversity” took place on 10 & 11 June 2015 in Brussels, Les Ateliers des Tanneurs. The main objective of the conference was to present alternative ways to inspire innovative policy making to act for nature. Based on four years of large-scale research by the two European projects, the conference aimed to define what could really work to motivate society to act for nature. The conference involved a wide audience in high-level keynotes, science-policy interface sessions, stakeholder meetings and panels. The joint event was also a platform for the BESAFE project Final Conference where the beta version of the BESAFE tool was presented and tested. The tool is planned as a user-friendly application where stakeholders can browse project results and background information to help them to improve biodiversity argumentation. BESAFE is now aiming to release the final version of the tool that can be tested and used by everyone at the end of August 2015.]]> Mon, 22 Jun 2015 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=175 04 June 2015

Stakeholders from across Europe are coming together at Green Week to discuss biodiversity and ecosystem services in Europe. The European Environment Agency (EEA) will present its latest findings, recently published in its reports 'State of nature in the EU' and 'The European Environment – state and outlook 2015'. The European Environment Agency's recent assessments, including The European environment – state and outlook 2015 and State of Nature in the EU, show that Europe's biodiversity is still being eroded, despite significant local improvements. To halt the loss of biodiversity, stabilise and restore degraded ecosystems, the European Union has adopted the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, which sets various targets and actions. An effective implementation of the strategy depends, among others, on the data and information available on biodiversity in Europe. Through its extensive network and close collaboration with partners, the EEA contributes extensively to the knowledge base on Europe's biodiversity. Read the full original news story on the EEA website: http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/green-week-stakeholders-put-nature]]> Thu, 04 Jun 2015 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=174 03 June 2015

Science for Environment Policy has published a new on-depth report "Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity". In-depth reports are a feature of SEP, introduced in 2012, which take a comprehensive look at the latest science for key policy topics. Ecosystems provide a multitude of benefits to humanity, from food, clean water and flood protection to cultural heritage and a sense of place, to name but a few. However, many of these benefits, known as ‘ecosystem services’, are under severe threat from man-made pressures. Decision makers need clear information on how biodiversity underpins these services, the demand for them, the capacity of ecosystems to provide them and the pressures impairing that capacity. In this report we explore four core facets of the ecosystem services concept: the links between biodiversity and ecosystem services; current techniques for mapping and assessing ecosystems and their services; valuation of ecosystem services and the importance of considering all ecosystem services and biodiversity as part of an interconnected system. Original Source: Science for Environment Policy (2015) Ecosystem Services and the Environment. In-depth Report 11 produced for the European Commission, DG Environment by the Science Communication Unit, UWE, Bristol. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/science-environment-policy]]> Wed, 03 Jun 2015 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=173 31 March 2015

The European Environment Agency has published its flagship report, the European Environment - State and Outlook 2015 (SOER 2015) . It contains excellent online resources with detailed information, including downloadable graphs, tables and images. The report is compiled every five years and includes an assessment of trends and prospects, information on individual countries and regions, cross-country comparisons and the global context. Aggregated level information on climate change, impacts, vulnerability and adaptation is included. Read more and find the report online here: http://eea.europa.eu/soer]]> Tue, 31 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=172 19 January 2015

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is organising an open competition with a view to recruiting a contract agent to work as Project Manager within the area of biodiversity indicators and assessments and further with a view to establishing a reserve list. THE AGENCY The EEA is an Agency of the European Union (EU) and one of the decentralised Union bodies. The EEA aims to support sustainable development and to help achieve significant and measurable improvement inEurope’s environment, through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy-making agents and the public. More information is available on the official EEA page: http://www.eea.europa.eu/about-us/jobs/eeavacancy.2015-01-14.3625557226 ]]> Mon, 19 Jan 2015 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=170 15 January 2015

A new paper describing the PREDICTS database has been published and is now available in open-access publication in Ecology and Evolution. PREDICTS - Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (http://predicts.org.uk/) - is a collaborative project aiming to use a meta-analytic approach to investigate how local biodiversity typically responds to human pressures such as land-use change, pollution, invasive species and infrastructure, and ultimately improve our ability to predict future biodiversity changes. Abstract: Biodiversity continues to decline in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures such as habitat destruction, exploitation, pollution and introduction of alien species. Existing global databases of species’ threat status or population time series are dominated by charismatic species. The collation of datasets with broad taxonomic and biogeographic extents, and that support computation of a range of biodiversity indicators, is necessary to enable better understanding of historical declines and to project – and avert – future declines. We describe and assess a new database of more than 1.6 million samples from 78 countries representing over 28,000 species, collated from existing spatial comparisons of local-scale biodiversity exposed to different intensities and types of anthropogenic pressures, from terrestrial sites around the world. The database contains measurements taken in 208 (of 814) ecoregions, 13 (of 14) biomes, 25 (of 35) biod...]]> Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=171 15 January 2015

Results from BESAFE attracted much interest at the 2015 Biodiversity Symposium in Oxford, January 6-7. The main theme of the symposium was “The Functions and Values of Biodiversity”, and there was lively discussion about the pros and cons of economic valuation of biodiversity. Our poster, presented by Alison Smith of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford, summarised the strong evidence for positive links between biodiversity and ecosystem services from the literature review. Preliminary results from the survey of stakeholder attitudes were also discussed, showing that decision makers respond to a wide range of arguments for biodiversity conservation – both economic arguments based on the value of biodiversity to humans, and ethical or moral arguments based on the intrinsic value of nature.]]> Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=169 13 January 2015

The joint BESAFE-BIOMOT Conference "Motivations and arguments to act for biodiversity: Alternative ways to inspire innovative policy making" will take place on 10–11 June 2015 in Brussels at Les Ateliers des Tanneurs. Biodiversity in Europe continues to decline. Decades of policy making, business involvement and citizen action have not yet been able to turn that general tide. Great efforts have been made recently to clarify the economic importance of nature to society, for instance through the valuation of ecosystem services. This approach creates a new awareness, but also new risks, and has apparently not done much yet to energize society towards real change. What are arguments for biodiversity that really appeal? What moves people into committed action for nature? What could really work to motivate society to take action for nature? Based on four years of large-scale research by two European projects, BESAFE and its sister ptoject BIOMOT, this conference aims to break new ground. It will involve a wide audience in high-level keynotes, science-policy interface sessions, stakeholder meetings and panels discussing specific themes. Conference Key-notes and Forum participants: Miko, Ladislav, DG Health and Consumers, EU (to be confirmed) Pahl Wostl, Claudia , Universität Osnabrück, Germany Pregernig, Michael, University of Freiburg, Germany Reed, Mark, The Birmingham School of the Built Environment, UK Rossetti di Valdalbero, Domenico, DG Research and...]]> Tue, 13 Jan 2015 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=168 25 November 2014

The IUCN World Parks Congress 2014 took place from 12 to 19 November 2014 in Sydney, Australia. As a landmark global forum on protected areas, the Congress was aimed at sharing knowledge and innovation, setting the agenda for protected areas conservation for the decade to come. Building on the theme "Parks, people, planet: inspiring solutions", it presented, discussed and created original approaches for conservation and development, helping to address the gap in the conservation and sustainable development agenda. Dr. Malgorzata Blicharska from the Swedish Biodiversity Centre (CBM) represented BESAFE at the Congress. Learn more about what happened at the Congress and how the project was presented from the following interview with Dr. Blicharska. 1) How did BESAFE contribute to the IUCN World Park Congress? I was presenting one of BESAFE cases, the Białowieża Forest conflict case, at the Workshop in the stream on enhancing governance of protected areas, under the topic: Governance and procedural rights: securing collective responsibilities and citizen oversight in conserving nature. The workshop focused on the rights to access to information, justice and participation; in other words it was about qualities of good governance. The presented case of the Białowieża Forest has exemplified that in a conflict situation, the particular arguments for conservation may not be sufficient, but also proper governance mechanisms that enable open, accountable and res...]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2014 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=167 19 November 2014

For the first time, a composite map of the world’s ecosystem assets has been produced, covering both marine and terrestrial realms. A report for the UNEP Division of Early Warning and Assessment by UNEP-WCMC presents global maps of assets such as biodiversity, freshwater resources and soil quality. Natural capital is fundamental to human well-being. According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, at least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent of the needs of the poor are derived from biological resources. We are now facing a problem where natural capital has been harvested and degraded at a rate that threatens to undermine our well-being and future economic growth. In their latest report UNEP-WCMC have combined information about key ecosystem assets into global maps covering terrestrial and marine realms. The assets included are freshwater resources, soil quality, organic carbon, terrestrial and marine biodiversity, and global fish catch (as a proxy for marine fish stocks). The report builds on a considerable body of work in the fields of natural capital accounting and the mapping of ecosystem services. To read more and download the full report, please follow the link: http://www.unep-wcmc.org/news/towards-a-global-map-of-natural-capital]]> Wed, 19 Nov 2014 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=165 13 November 2014

Ecological Economics (2014) DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2014.04.025Spangenberg, Joachim H., von Haaren, Christina, Settele, JosefThe ‘cascade model’ of ecosystem service generation and valuation highlights the links between biophysical aspects/biodiversity and human well-being, in particular for the case of marginal changes, but does not include societal processes. Services seem to flow effortlessly from ecosystems to beneficiaries, as free gifts of nature. We integrate such processes, strengthening the model's applicability to non-incremental changes, and to landscape planning. A process analysis shows how use value attribution turns biophysical ecosystem functions into ecosystem service potentials which (except for ‘final services’) have to be mobilised to provide ecosystem services. Once appropriated, these services generate ecosystem benefits which may be commercialised, or not. The important role of use value attribution for the final (e)valuation of policies, plans and their expected outcome is illustrated by discussing different service potentials attributed to the same function, biomass provision, and the different bioenergy services resulting. For the reverse use of the ‘cascade’ as ‘stairways’ for planning processes, the prevailing uncertainty requires legal and participative foundations for decision making, and an awareness of the potentially conflicting private and public interests involved. This reverse application combines with the ‘cascade’ to form a full cycle of...]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2014 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=166 13 November 2014

Landscape Ecology (2014) DOI 10.1007/s10980-014-0084-1von Haaren, Christina, Albert, Christian, Barkmann, Jan, de Groot, Rudolf S. Spangenberg, Joachim H., Schroter-Schlaack, Christoph, Hansjurgens, BerndThe development and use of the conceptual framework of ecosystem services (ES) has been very successful in supporting the broad diffusion and application of ES within science and policy communities. However, most of the currently proposed interpretations of the framework neither correlate to environmental planning nor to decision-making contexts at the local and regional scale, which is a potential reason for the slow adoption and practice of the ES conceptual framework. This paper proposes a practice-oriented ES evaluation (PRESET) model specifically adapted to the requirements of local and regional planning and decision-making contexts, and discusses its potential benefits and implications for practice. Through the usage of PRESET we suggest making a distinction between ‘offered ES’, ‘utilized ES’, ‘human input’, and ‘ES benefits’ as relevant information for decision-making. Furthermore, we consider it important to link these decision-support categories to different value dimensions relevant in planning and management practice. PRESET provides guidance to inject the ES concept into planning, but needs to be implemented together with concrete assessment methods, indicators and data. The planning strategic benefits of using PRESET include its reference to existing legislative obje...]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2014 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=162 12 November 2014

A new comment in the journal Nature argues that conservation’s impact on the world is being hindered by the field’s lack of inclusiveness — particularly its failure to consistently include both the many different values people hold for nature, and the viewpoints of women and diverse ethnicities and cultures. The comment is coauthored by Heather Tallis, lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy; Jane Lubchenco, former NOAA administrator, currently professor at Oregon State University and member of The Nature Conservancy’s board of directors; and 238 other leading conservationists. See more at: http://blog.nature.org/science/diversity-conservation-petition#sthash.XI1pIrf7.dpuf Or in the original publication at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/515027a ]]> Wed, 12 Nov 2014 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=163 12 November 2014

Background: The North American plant Ambrosia artemisiifolia, common ragweed, has become one of the flagship invasive alien species in Europe, causing severe health issues (allergies) and yield reductions in agriculture. While herbicides and mechanical control are well suited as local and short-term measures to control A. artemisiifolia, sustainable control strategies to reduce its abundance and spread as well as its pollen production in badly infested areas are lacking in Europe. One of the main objectives of the recently launched European COST action SMARTER (‘Sustainable management of Ambrosia artemisiifolia in Europe’; ragweed.eu) is to develop sustainable control strategies such as biological control (BC), an approach which has been successfully implemented against A. artemisiifolia in other continents. PhD Position: Within this project, an exciting PhD position funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education and Research (SER) is available at CABI in Switzerland (cabi.org/about-cabi/cabi-centres/Switzerland), with the coordinator of the Working Group 1 (Biological Control) in SMARTER. The PhD aims to conduct biosafety studies with exotic insect species that are considered for BC of A. artemisiifolia in Europe. The goal is to combine standard biosafety tests (assessment of fundamental host-range) with new, innovative approaches that will strengthen the scientific quality of non-target risk assessment, specifically with regard to i) host-range testing under open-field conditions, and ii...]]> Wed, 12 Nov 2014 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=164 12 November 2014

Background: In a recently approved international research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), we aim to help mitigate the effects of woody invasive alien species (IAS) on biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being in case study areas in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. To achieve this goal, we will generate and share knowledge on invasion processes and on context-dependent effects of woody IAS. Also, we will elaborate sustainable control measures and develop and document Sustainable Land Management (SLM) strategies that mitigate the negative effects of woody IAS in East Africa. PhD Position: Within this project, an exciting PhD position is available at CABI in Switzerland (cabi.org/about-cabi/cabi-centres/Switzerland), which is the coordinator of this project. The PhD aims to improve our understanding of the positive and negative effects of key woody IAS on biodiversity, ecosystem services and rural livelihoods in three case study areas in East Africa. Specific goals of the study include: (1) measure effects of selected woody IAS at small scale, e.g. at the household or community level, and (2) compare IAS cover – effect response curves for multiple indicators of biodiversity, ES and rural livelihood. The results from this study will be combined with those from parallel studies assessing the current and potential future distribution and abundance of the woody IAS in the case study areas and at the nat...]]> Wed, 12 Nov 2014 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.besafe-project.net/news.php?n=161 29 October 2014

Ecological Economics (2014) DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2014.09.028Iniesta-Arandia I., García-Llorente M., Aguilera P., Montes C., Martín-López B.Ecosystem services studies currently lack information regarding stakeholders' socio-cultural values. This information is highly relevant to human well-being, which is the motivation of ecosystem services assessments. We present results from an analysis of stakeholders' perceptions of ecosystem services, well-being and drivers of change in two semi-arid watersheds in south-eastern Spain. Based on the information compiled through a literature review, participant observation and semi-structured interviews, we designed a questionnaire and conducted 381 interviews. Our results show that semiarid watersheds deliver a large variety of ecosystem services; however, these services are perceived in different ways. We identified five stakeholder groups, including: locals dependent on provisioning ecosystem services, locals not directly dependent on provisioning ecosystem services, environmental and local development professionals and rural and nature tourists. Overall, provisioning services related to traditional practices were perceived as highly important and highly vulnerable by every stakeholder group. However, we found contrasting perceptions of some ecosystem services among stakeholders and of the relevant drivers of change and well-being. We suggest that socio-cultural valuation is a useful tool to prioritize ecosystem services but...]]> Wed, 29 Oct 2014 11:00:00 +0200