Assessing Ecosystem Services in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves

The presentation can be found in PDF format below in both English and French

Assessing Ecosystem Services in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves_EN

Évaluation des services écosystémiques dans les réserves de biosphère de l’UNESCO_FR

Through the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, Liette Vasseur, UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability at Brock University and Robert Siron from Ouranos produced a document that aims to present a simple way to assess ecosystem services in biosphere reserves. Ecosystem services represent the various benefits that we receive from our natural environment and sustain life on the planet. In this document, the concepts and categories of ecosystem services are presented and how they can be viewed through it is now labelled as Nature Contributions to People. The document explains how it is possible to use a simple method that is inclusive and interactive to assess with the community the ecosystem services that are the most pertinent for a particular biosphere region. The tool can be used to also monitor in the long term these services and help define actions that may better contribute to sustainable development. It should be underlined that participation of a great working group contributed significantly to the discussion and the additional examples from Mont St-Hilaire and Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on how this approach can be used have been very beneficial. Now, it is time to test through pilot projects how it can be done… This is an invitation to any one interested in trying through one of their priorities.

Liette Vasseur, PhD