Understanding the Multiple Values Associated with Sustainable Use in Socio-ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes

People value nature in many different ways, and the continued degradation of landscapes and seascapes have negatively impacted many key contributions of nature to people’s quality of life. A key challenge for effective and sustainable management of socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes is how to best account for the multiple values of nature in management decisions. 

 

This report provides an account of the multiple values of nature associated with socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS). It presents a series of in-depth case studies from Latin America (Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico), Africa (Mauritius, Ghana, and Uganda), Asia (Bangladesh, Taiwan, and the Philippines), and Europe (Spain). All of the case studies highlight the dilemmas between conservation and development, as well as discuss the development and monitoring of community-based projects. The case studies also explore how different values of nature influence the decisions and actions of different stakeholders and how this affects the use and distribution of nature’s contributions to people. The final synthesis chapter also provides important cross-cutting insights and guidelines that link values, decisions, and outcomes based on a social-ecological system framing.