Expanding the role of participatory mapping to assess ecosystem service provision in local coastal environments

Abstract

There has been increasing international effort to better understand the diversity and quality of marine natural capital, ecosystem services and their associated societal benefits. However, there is an evidence gap as to how these benefits are identified at the local scale, where benefits are provided and to whom, trade-offs in development decisions, and understanding how benefits support wellbeing. Often the benefits of conservation are poorly understood at the local scale, are not effectively integrated into policy and are rarely included meaningfully in public discourse. This paper addresses this disjuncture and responds to the demand for improving dialogue with local communities and stakeholders. Participatory GIS mapping is used as a direct means of co-producing knowledge with stakeholder and community interests. This paper drives a shift from development of participatory approaches to adaptive applications in real-world case studies of local, national and international policy relevance. The results from four sites along the UK North Sea coast are presented. This paper showcases a robust stakeholder-driven approach that can be used to inform marine planning, conservation management and coastal development. Although the demonstration sites are UKfocused, the methodology presented is of global significance and can be applied across spatial and temporal scales.

Social impacts of European Protected Areas and policy recommendations

“…From the studies reviewed, a large part of them focused on the impact on health referring both to physical ( Romagosa, 2018 ) and mental aspects ( Burdon et al, 2019 ). Numerous European PAs provide also the opportunity for humans to be closer to nature, appreciate its’ beauty ( Bennett et al, 2019 ; Lopes and Videira, 2019 ) and enjoy a relaxed environment in tranquillity (Garcia-Lorente et al 2018; Jiricka-Pürrer et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Popa and Bann (2012) provides a useful list of potential heritage and cultural aspects, especially in central-East Europe influenced by PAs, including churches, monasteries, architectural ruins, national symbols and places of special architecture. In several cases PAs have facilitated the protection of a wide set of values such as cultural, spiritual, historical and religious ensuring that cultural activities continue to take place ( Burdon et al, 2019 ; Fagerholm et al, 2016 ; Garcia-Llorente et al, 2018 ).…”

“…There is evidence that PAs in Europe have assisted in reducing conflicts ( Dimech et al, 2009 ) and enhanced cooperation between different groups of interest. In certain cases they have also increased the level of trust between users and administrators while improving community cohesion ( Burdon et al, 2019 ). The emergence of new local organisations has also been reported while the increased levels of tourism in certain PAs has been considered a benefit due to the opportunity to meet new people ( Trivourea et al, 2011 ).…”

“…The majority of existing studies focus on the beneficial role that PAs have on key issues such as mental and physical health, income and local traditions (e.g. Burdon et al, 2019 ; Romagosa, 2018 ). This is in line with major policy and scientific documents highlighting the benefits of nature on human wellbeing ( Díaz et al, 2018 ; MEA, 2005 ).…”

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Management of European Protected Areas and Policy Implications

“…The increase in visitor numbers to European PAs during the pandemic comes as awareness of PAs has been increasing over time [44] and people are increasingly visiting areas of natural beauty in order to improve their wellbeing [16,17,45]. PAs benefit physical and mental health [45][46][47] by providing people with the opportunity to come closer to nature [48][49][50][51]. In addition, a significant increase in users of outdoor spaces [52] has also been documented during the pandemic that appears to be motivated by people trying to find relatively remote places where they felt safe from the virus.…”