VALUING THE ENVIRONMENT


to make clear that we derive a range of benefits from the natural environment, many of which are taken for granted,” Professor Andrew Watkinson, Director of LWEC, explains. “Whilst we recognise the value of some ecosystems services such as food, water and energy as they pass through the market, the value of others such as climate regulation, the delivery of clean water and green spaces for recreation are much more difficult to capture. “This is where the social and economic scientists have made such an important contribution to the UK National Ecosystem Assessment in allowing us to assign a tangible economic value to ecosystem services that could not otherwise be measured.” The study examined the state of the full range of services provided across eight different habitats including marine, woodlands, wetlands and moorlands. It shows that while some ecosystems are getting better at delivering services such as crop production from farmland and climate regulation by woodlands, the tendency to focus only on the market value of resources we can use has led to the decline of some ecosystems and habitats through pollution, over-exploitation, and land conversion. Over 30 per cent of services assessed were


found to be in decline, and others degraded, such as marine fisheries, wild species diversity and soil quality.


Continued population growth and climate change are likely to put additional pressure on ecosystems, the study warns, and that actions taken now will have consequences far into the future. It stresses the need for a more collaborative approach to enhancing our environment, with everyone playing their part to capture more of nature’s benefits in a sustainable way. Professor Bob Watson, Chief Scientist at Defra and co-chair of the UK NEA, explained how an interdisciplinary approach across sectors has been key to measuring the UK’s natural environment: “There is an urgent need to better manage our ecosystems and the natural resources they provide us with. But


The NEA makes a strong economic rather than emotional case for fighting for the protection and preservation of rivers, coasts and other wetlands


until now there has been no clear way of valuing the full range of benefits they provide beyond what we can buy and sell. The UK NEA introduces groundbreaking approaches to measure the value of these services and how they will be affected in future if we do not make the right choices now. “The NEA shows that we need a more


integrated approach to ecosystem management, involving Government, the private sector, voluntary groups and the public working together to protect the services nature provides.” Six future scenarios have been developed


showing how ecosystems could be affected over the next 50 years depending on what emphasis is given to environmental sustainability or economic growth and there are stark warnings about what the future of our natural environment could look like. At the launch of the UK NEA Environment


Secretary Caroline Spelman outlined the long-term goal of the UK NEA: “I want our children to be the first generation to leave the natural environment in a better state than it was left to them. In 50 years time I want them to be able to look back and see how much the value of nature has grown, not diminished. The findings of this assessment have played a big part in shaping our forthcoming Natural Environment White Paper that will help us revitalise our towns and countryside.” n


Nick Stevens is Society Now Editor i


The UK National Ecosystem Assessment Secretariat is based at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge Email nea@unep-wcmc.org Web uknea.unep-wcmc.org


Living with Environmental Change Contact Andrew Watkinson Telephone 01603 593906 Web www.lwec.org.uk


SUMMER 2011 SOCIETY NOW 23


UK National Ecosystem Assessment Understanding nature’s value to society


ried out between


tural environment nuing prosperity.


Synthesis of the Key Findings


UK National Ecosystem Assessment – Synthesis of the Key Findings


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