Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 483 |
| Journal | Sustainability |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 5 Jan 2024 |
Abstract
The application of ecosystem service (ES) knowledge to planning processes and decision-making can lead to more effective climate change adaptation. Despite the increased attention given to the ES concept, its degree of integration and use in spatial planning processes are still below the expectations of those who are promoting this concept. Barriers hindering its operationalisation cover a span of aspects ranging from theoretical to procedural and methodological issues. Overall, there is a general lack of guidance on how and at what point ES knowledge should be integrated into planning processes. This study aims to promote the inclusion of ES knowledge into spatial planning practices and decision-making processes to enhance climate change adaptation. A replicable GIS-based methodology is proposed. First, the potential supply of ESs that can support climate change adaptation (ESCCAs) is defined, mapped, and quantified. Then, a need for an ESCCA supply is identified, and territorial capacities to respond to the expected climate change impacts on natural and socio-economic sectors are assessed. The methodology is applied to the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region (Italy) as an illustrative case study. The results reveal that areas with similar geomorphological characteristics tend to respond similarly. Forest ecosystems, inland wetlands and specifically salt marshes can potentially supply a greater variety of ESCCAs. In the case study area, about 62% of the supplied ESCCAs can contribute to reducing the impacts in more than 50% of the impacted sectors. The territory of the study site generally shows good preparedness for expected impacts in most of the analysed sectors; less prepared areas are characterised by agricultural ecosystems. This reading approach based on land cover analyses can thus assist in developing policies to enhance different territorial capacities, ultimately leading to better and more sustainable decision-making.
Keywords
- adaptive planning, decision-support tools, land cover analysis, science-policy interface
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Computer Science(all)
- Computer Science (miscellaneous)
- Environmental Science(all)
- Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
- Social Sciences(all)
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Energy(all)
- Energy Engineering and Power Technology
- Computer Science(all)
- Hardware and Architecture
- Environmental Science(all)
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
- Computer Science(all)
- Computer Networks and Communications
- Energy(all)
- Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Sustainability, Vol. 16, No. 2, 483, 05.01.2024.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Let’s Do It for Real
T2 - Making the Ecosystem Service Concept Operational in Regional Planning for Climate Change Adaptation
AU - Longo, Alessandra
AU - Zardo, Linda
AU - Maragno, Denis
AU - Musco, Francesco
AU - Burkhard, Benjamin
N1 - This research was funded by Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia, Doctoral scholarship, cycle XXXVI.
PY - 2024/1/5
Y1 - 2024/1/5
N2 - The application of ecosystem service (ES) knowledge to planning processes and decision-making can lead to more effective climate change adaptation. Despite the increased attention given to the ES concept, its degree of integration and use in spatial planning processes are still below the expectations of those who are promoting this concept. Barriers hindering its operationalisation cover a span of aspects ranging from theoretical to procedural and methodological issues. Overall, there is a general lack of guidance on how and at what point ES knowledge should be integrated into planning processes. This study aims to promote the inclusion of ES knowledge into spatial planning practices and decision-making processes to enhance climate change adaptation. A replicable GIS-based methodology is proposed. First, the potential supply of ESs that can support climate change adaptation (ESCCAs) is defined, mapped, and quantified. Then, a need for an ESCCA supply is identified, and territorial capacities to respond to the expected climate change impacts on natural and socio-economic sectors are assessed. The methodology is applied to the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region (Italy) as an illustrative case study. The results reveal that areas with similar geomorphological characteristics tend to respond similarly. Forest ecosystems, inland wetlands and specifically salt marshes can potentially supply a greater variety of ESCCAs. In the case study area, about 62% of the supplied ESCCAs can contribute to reducing the impacts in more than 50% of the impacted sectors. The territory of the study site generally shows good preparedness for expected impacts in most of the analysed sectors; less prepared areas are characterised by agricultural ecosystems. This reading approach based on land cover analyses can thus assist in developing policies to enhance different territorial capacities, ultimately leading to better and more sustainable decision-making.
AB - The application of ecosystem service (ES) knowledge to planning processes and decision-making can lead to more effective climate change adaptation. Despite the increased attention given to the ES concept, its degree of integration and use in spatial planning processes are still below the expectations of those who are promoting this concept. Barriers hindering its operationalisation cover a span of aspects ranging from theoretical to procedural and methodological issues. Overall, there is a general lack of guidance on how and at what point ES knowledge should be integrated into planning processes. This study aims to promote the inclusion of ES knowledge into spatial planning practices and decision-making processes to enhance climate change adaptation. A replicable GIS-based methodology is proposed. First, the potential supply of ESs that can support climate change adaptation (ESCCAs) is defined, mapped, and quantified. Then, a need for an ESCCA supply is identified, and territorial capacities to respond to the expected climate change impacts on natural and socio-economic sectors are assessed. The methodology is applied to the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region (Italy) as an illustrative case study. The results reveal that areas with similar geomorphological characteristics tend to respond similarly. Forest ecosystems, inland wetlands and specifically salt marshes can potentially supply a greater variety of ESCCAs. In the case study area, about 62% of the supplied ESCCAs can contribute to reducing the impacts in more than 50% of the impacted sectors. The territory of the study site generally shows good preparedness for expected impacts in most of the analysed sectors; less prepared areas are characterised by agricultural ecosystems. This reading approach based on land cover analyses can thus assist in developing policies to enhance different territorial capacities, ultimately leading to better and more sustainable decision-making.
KW - adaptive planning
KW - decision-support tools
KW - land cover analysis
KW - science-policy interface
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85183429396&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/su16020483
DO - 10.3390/su16020483
M3 - Article
VL - 16
JO - Sustainability
JF - Sustainability
SN - 2071-1050
IS - 2
M1 - 483
ER -