Strategic decisions conclude the convenience of considering the values of rural areas

2013/07/12 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ekologia
• Giza zientziak
• Nekazaritza
• Ingurumena

A study carried out in the United Kingdom has shown that decisions on the use of rural spaces do not include all the services offered by these areas, such as the cleaning of the atmosphere, the protection against floods, the maintenance of biodiversity, the granting of leisure opportunities, etc. According to the researchers, consideration of the global value of these services would be beneficial for both society and biodiversity.

The research team, led by the researcher at the University of East Anglia, Ian Bateman, has been formed by Ikerbasque and the researcher of the BC3, Basque Centre for Climate Change, Unai Pascual. They point out that while the situation in the UK has been analyzed, the methodology used can be used in many other places, where similar results are expected to be obtained.

In fact, in most of Europe, agriculture dominates the use of land. Almost half of the annual value of agriculture in the European Union is based on public aid (70%, 40% and more than 30% in Ireland, the United Kingdom and Spain respectively).

The researchers have focused on the profitability of this public aid in the UK, calculating the economic value of agricultural lands, both current and future, taking into account the impact of climate change. In the calculation of the value, the value of food production and associated environmental impacts, including greenhouse gases responsible for climate change and places of rest for people, as well as the loss of wild and biodiversity species generated by intensive agriculture, have been taken into account.

In view of the results, the researchers conclude that the grants strongly tax decisions on the rural environment and that it is essential to take into account ecosystem services. To carry out this change, a series of practical challenges have also been identified, including the participation of farmers in changes in land use for the benefit of society. In the words of Unai Pascual, “it is time to reward farmers for the guarantee of the basic ecosystem services that society has in high esteem. Farmers can be managers of our rural environment, so that we, as a society, leave healthy lands to the coming generations.”

Published in the journal Ikerketa Science, Bringing Ecosystem Services into Economic Decision-Making: Land Use in the United Kingdom.

Perception of the Green Environment in Bilbao

The conclusions of the study coincide in part with the study carried out by the UPV researcher Izaskun Casado. In particular, Casado is one of the members of the research group Landscape, biodiversity and ecosystem services of the UPV/EHU, which has analysed Bilbao's citizen perception of the green environment.

Casado has interviewed five hundred people and, according to the responses received, almost all those surveyed are aware that the green environment provides ecosystem services and value and appreciate them. However, despite the fact that almost 80% of these people identify cultural services (leisure, landscape, rest...), only one third identifies regulatory services, and even less (1.8%) the ecosystem supply services. At the same time, they are willing to collaborate in the conservation of the area.

In view of all the results, the researcher has considered “essential” the realization of this type of research and that the results are taken into account by those who make the decisions. “Knowing the services offered by ecosystems and the opinion of the population, we will have a solid base to know what future we want,” said Casado.