A study conducted between 2010 and 2011 in Southern Mediterranean countries, with focus to Algeria, shows that the process of developing and implementing the concept of ecosystem services does not appear to be adequately shared with stakeholders involved in sustainable development outside the networks of scientific community of conservationists. Actions to overcome this segmentation can be implemented.
One of the objectives of the concept of ecosystem services, developed in the early 1970’s was to reconcile human beings with nature. It was a tool which helped in raising the awareness of the population and the policy makers concerning the functions of ecosystems and in giving them a value so as to be more able to take them into account when deciding on development options. Among the different methods for establishing the value of ecosystem services, the monetary approach allowed for better integration of their economic value into cost benefit analyses. Two decades later, it has become evident that this concept has not achieved its overall goal. The case study of Algeria, a developing country, shows that this concept is problematic in its implementation both within and outside of Protected Areas.
A study conducted between 2010 and 2011 in Southern Mediterranean countries, with focus to Algeria, shows that the process of developing and implementing the concept of ecosystem services does not appear to be adequately shared with stakeholders involved in sustainable development outside the networks of scientific community of conservationists. This is especially true for developing countries with the risk of no, poor or not rapidly enough adoption of this concept by the entire community involved in sustainable development and hence, not allowing socio-economic development stakeholders to use and put it into effect this concept in their methods and development practices. Unless the divide in terms of actors, institutions and protected-non protected land, is not dealt with more rapidly in a pro-active manner and towards achieving a common and effective work plan, the attainment of this concepts primary objective is seriously jeopardised. In this scenario, the process of ecosystem services would be maintained by two separate networks of sustainable development, the ones involved in conservation and the ones involved in development, leading to a loss of mutually beneficial opportunities. Given the pace of economic growth and demographic increase in the Mediterranean basin, it is important that actors in the field of planning , of research, of development as well as site managers work in a more complementary way towards putting into effect the process of implementing the concept of ecosystem services. On an international level, sharing the lessons learnt at the Mediterranean level can be useful through schemes like the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services- whose first conclusions will likely take many years), as well as in assisting developing countries in the Mediterranean to develop policies and take political and legal decisions.
The analysis shows that the solutions in order to enhance the sharing of this concept among the different actors in sustainable development are feasible in many different levels. For this, it is important that they be consulted and involved at the beginning of the process on how to adapt and make operational the concept of ecosystem services; otherwise this concept will remain an "annex" of several sustainable development initiatives. In terms of actors and targeting, this concept must be expanded beyond the circle of conservation scientists with more efforts in feedback and appropriate communication to citizens and policy makers who are the main targets for change of attitude and practice. In terms of approaches, attempts must be made to match the methods used by environmental networks like "Driver - Pressure - State - Impact - Response" (DPSIR) and "Pressure - State - Response" (PSR) largely unknown to development workers and policy makers with the ones from the field of socio-economic development (approach of sustainable livelihoods, systems approach) which is often unknown to the world of conservation. In terms of geography, the majority of studies of ecosystem services are carried out in protected areas in developed countries, while the challenges of maintaining the integrity of ecosystems is now more acute outside protected areas in developing, emerging or transitioning countries. At the institutional level, the networks active in working on the field of ecosystem services are still often working in separation with other networks also active in sustainable development. In terms of international conventions, the inclusion of the concept and monitoring of ecosystem services in the field of conservation (especially the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Ramsar Convention) has yet to find its equivalent, operational concept in the field of International Development like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Contacts:
Docteur Laurent Chazée, Tour du Valat, France (chazee@tourduvalat.org)
Docteur Amor Driss, Annaba, Algérie (Papi_driss@yahoo.fr)