Big frame
Carbon Project [© 2008 Shayne Fuller]
Programmes
        

PEACE PARKS PROGRAMMES

The programmes differ from the projects in that they encompass more than one peace park and rather include many, if not all southern Africa's TFCAs.  The Climate Change Programme, TFCA Veterinary Programme and Ecosystem Services are run by Peace Parks Foundation, whereas Boundless Southern Africa was launched and is run by nine southern African countries.  They all set out to achieve the best not only  for the region's TFCAs, but also for the partner countries and its people.
 

Ecosystem Services

Programmes | A map collage of ecosystem services [© 2009 Peace Parks Foundation]

Ecosystems Services in southern Africa

(Grant Benn & Craig Beech)

 

Introduction to Peace Parks Foundation's Ecosystems Services Study

 

Peace Parks Foundation, have embarked upon a spatial study of the ecosystems services and their potential in southern Africa for their conservation value.

The aim of this study is to develop initial surface maps, by making use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) describing and understanding the distribution patterns of a selected set of ecosystem services. These selected ecosystem services are:

 

  • Provisioning services
    • Food production
    • Freshwater provisioning
    • Fuel-wood provisioning
  • Supporting services
    • Primary production
    • Soil protection
    • Biodiversity
  • Regulating services
    • Climate regulation
    • Water/flood regulation
    • Water purification/detoxification
  • Cultural services

 

Although Peace Parks Foundation focuses predominantly within the southern African Development Community for its transboundary conservation facilitation work, the scale chosen to undertake this study is that of the African continent. Datasets have therefore been sourced, compiled and analysed to identify ecosystem services surfaces on the African continent.

The study looks to identify critical areas for each of the ecosystem services. These critical areas will in turn be combined (overlaid) to identify overall critical ecosystem service areas or hot spots for prioritized intervention, or for the identification for further more detailed scaled studies of ecosystem services to be undertaken at a peace parks level.

Human activities (agriculture, urbanisation etc.) have altered the natural landscape. The impact of these transforming human activities on critical ecosystem areas will also be assessed. The critical ecosystem areas will then be assessed against datasets describing spatial patterns of human well-being. This will allow for an assessment of the relationship between factors such as poverty levels/indicators and individual ecosystem services, and the combined critical ecosystem service areas.

Ultimately what we endeavour to understand is the description of current distribution of transfrontier conservation areas, and how these relate the identified ecosystem services ‘hotspots'. This comparison will assess the contribution made by transfrontier conservation initiatives to the protection of critical ecosystem service areas. The results are envisaged to inform future decisions regarding transboundary conservation.

 

Background to Ecosystem Services

 

Ecosystem services are the benefits that human populations obtain from natural environments and ecosystems. Human populations are reliant on their natural environment for the provisioning of food, clean water, air, natural fibres etc. Furthermore, the natural environment also provides a range of intangible benefits such as soil fertility, recreational opportunities, spiritual and aesthetic value.

 

In summary healthy ecosystems provide:

  • The materials for life — food, fresh water, timber, and fiber for clothing.
  • Protection from extreme weather, floods, fire, and disease.
  • Regulation of the Earth's climate.
  • Filtration of wastes and pollutants.
  • Regeneration of clean air, water, and soil.
  • Inspiration, recreation and spiritual sus­tenance, and support for a way of life. (Millennium Assessment Toolkit, 2007)

 

The suite of benefits provided by ecosystem services can be broadly grouped into four categories:

a. Provisioning services

These include services which produce basic goods, e.g. food, water and wood.

b. Regulating services

These services provide bounds on ecosystem functions, and include the various benefits which accrue as ecosystem processes impact on the physical and biological components of the environment. Examples include flood protection, regulation of air and water quality and climate regulation.

c. Cultural services

These include the non-material benefits which accrue from the natural environment, and can be considered to enrich human existence. Examples of cultural services include recreation, spiritual enrichment, tourism and aesthetic enjoyment.

d. Supporting services

These services are necessary for the maintenance of ecosystem services falling into the above categories. Supporting services include the primary production of biomass, soil protection and biodiversity. In other words, these services are essential for the continued delivery of other ecosystem services.

(World Resources Institute et al., 2007).

The ecosystems on which humans depend are not static. The activities of human beings are currently the dominant force for changes to the natural landscape and ecosystems. In the past 50 years, humans have altered ecosystems at an unprecedented rate. Naturally, these changes have a substantial impact on the provision of services by these altered ecosystems. There are thus costs to these changes, with the costs disproportionately borne by the poor and marginalised (Millennium Assessment Toolkit, 2007). It is the same poor and marginalised who are most reliant on the effective functioning of ecosystem services. Ignoring the protection of ecosystem services will also limit future development possibilities.

References

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. 2007. A toolkit for understanding and action: Protecting nature's service. Protecting ourselves. Island Press.

World Resources Institute; Department of Resource Surveys and Remote Sensing, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Kenya; Central Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Planning and National Development, Kenya; and International Livestock Research Institute. 2007. Nature's Benefits in Kenya, An Atlas of Ecosystems and Human Well-Being. Washington, DC and Nairobi: World Resources Institute.