Ecosystem Services Assessment for Informed Decision Making
For whom?
Development and environmental professionals as well as decision-makers interested in protection, integration, and mainstreaming of ecosystems in development and policy.
Dates, Fee, ECTS
Start: 19 June 2023
End: 30 June 2023
ECTS credit points: 3
Deadline IHE application: 18 May 2023 - 23.59 (CET)
Course fee: € 3500
VAT is not included in the course fee
Learning objectives
Upon completion, the participant should be able to:
- Describe the ecosystem services framework and relevance to development and policy decision making
- Identify and link ecosystem services, stakeholders, value generation in policy decision-making
- Review different approaches and tools for ecosystem services assessment and conditions for application
- Conduct ecosystem service assessment for policy and development decision
Course content
This course is intended to deliver a tool useful in practice that combines and integrates biophysical and social-economic aspects of ecosystem services in developing a systematic and holistic assessment of the role and contribution of ecosystems to human society. In terms of contents, the course is composed of:
- The ecosystem services framework and relevance to sustainable development
- Types of ecosystem services assessment, metrics, and contexts of application
- The demand and supply framework for ecosystem services
- Biophysical assessment of ecosystem services
- Socio-economic assessment of ecosystem services
- Spatial mapping of ecosystem services
- Tools for ecosystem services
- Procedure for developing ecosystem services assessment
- Case studies
The course combines diverse didactic approaches, particularly, a field trip integrated with a group assignment in practicing and developing an ecosystem service assessment for a focal area linked to policy such as room for river projects in the Netherlands. It will also include a roleplay game for managing a mangrove ecosystem in relation to economic development such as tourism, participatory decision-making, and inclusive development.