Poverty, sustainability and human wellbeing: A social wellbeing approach to the global fisheries crisis

Coulthard, Sarah; Johnson, Derek; McGregor, JoAnn

doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.01.003

Cited by 322 publications

(233 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…In contrast to the cascade model, Value (an aggregate quality) is not the final outcome, but is further mediated by Share and Well-being Contribution that focus on who accesses Value and how it contributes to their well-being (Coulthard et al 2011, Daw et al 2011. Thus the aggregate processes of Valorization are distinguished from the disaggregated processes of Access, and Needs, Gaps, and Aspirations that determine the Well-being Contribution of ecosystem services for different kinds of people.…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The environmentalist's paradox has been investigated as an aggregate system-level attribute at a global scale, but given the importance of individual experiences and circumstances for the understanding of well-being (Coulthard et al 2011), research will also be needed that can capture the differences between groups of people, based in terms of their relationship to, and dependence on, different processes or components of the ecosystem. For example, ES elasticity will be higher for people with ecosystem-based livelihoods than people not directly dependent on local ecosystems.…”

Section: Introducing Es Elasticitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Elasticity in ecosystem services: exploring the variable relationship between ecosystems and human well-being

Daw¹,

Hicks²,

Brown³

et al. 2016

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Although ecosystem services are increasingly recognized as benefits people obtain from nature, we still have a poor understanding of how they actually enhance multidimensional human well-being, and how well-being is affected by ecosystem change. We develop a concept of "ecosystem service elasticity" (ES elasticity) that describes the sensitivity of human well-being to changes in ecosystems. ES Elasticity is a result of complex social and ecological dynamics and is context dependent, individually variable, and likely to demonstrate nonlinear dynamics such as thresholds and hysteresis. We present a conceptual framework that unpacks the chain of causality from ecosystem stocks through flows, goods, value, and shares to contribute to the well-being of different people. This framework builds on previous conceptualizations, but places multidimensional well-being of different people as the final element. This ultimately disaggregated approach emphasizes how different people access benefits and how benefits match their needs or aspirations.Applying this framework to case studies of individual coastal ecosystem services in East Africa illustrates a wide range of social and ecological factors that can affect ES elasticity. For example, food web and habitat dynamics affect the sensitivity of different fisheries ecosystem services to ecological change. Meanwhile high cultural significance, or lack of alternatives enhance ES elasticity, while social mechanisms that prevent access can reduce elasticity.Mapping out how chains are interlinked illustrates how different types of value and the well-being of different people are linked to each other and to common ecological stocks. We suggest that examining chains for individual ecosystem services can suggest potential interventions aimed at poverty alleviation and sustainable ecosystems while mapping out of interlinkages between chains can help to identify possible ecosystem service trade-offs and winners and losers. We discuss conceptual and practical challenges of applying such a framework and conclude on its utility as a heuristic for structuring interdisciplinary analysis of ecosystem services and human wellbeing.

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Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introducing Es Elasticitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Elasticity in ecosystem services: exploring the variable relationship between ecosystems and human well-being

Daw¹,

Hicks²,

Brown³

et al. 2016

E&S

Self Cite

154

122

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The issue of inequality and socially differentiated impacts and outcomes is overlooked by the win-win discourse, but could have significant repercussions on community support for MPAs (Fabinyi 2013). This lack of attention to the differential impacts that MPAs can have on different individuals and groups is considered to be a major weakness of these conservation and management tools (Coulthard et al 2011).…”

Section: Equitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenging the win-win discourse on conservation and development: analyzing support for marine protected areas

Chaigneau¹,

Brown²

2016

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Conservation designations such as protected areas are increasing in numbers around the world, yet it is widely reported that many are failing to reach their objectives. They are frequently promoted as opportunities for win-win outcomes that can both protect biodiversity and lead to economic benefits for affected communities. This win-win view characterizes the dominant discourse surrounding many protected areas. Although this discourse and the arguments derived from it may lead to initial acceptance of conservation interventions, this study shows how it does not necessarily result in compliance and positive attitudes toward specific protected areas. Consequently, the discourse has important implications not just for making the case for protected area implementation, but also for the likelihood of protected areas reaching their objectives. We explain how the win-win discourse influences support for marine protected areas (MPAs) and, ultimately, their success. Using data from focus groups, questionnaires, and in-depth interviews at three MPA sites in the Philippines, we identified three reasons why the win-win discourse can negatively influence prolonged support for MPAs: dashed expectations, inequity, and temptation. Through an understanding of these issues, it becomes possible to suggest improvements that can be made pre-MPA implementation that can lead to prolonged support of MPAs. A focus on less tangible and economic MPA benefits, aligning MPA goals with cultural and social values, and higher levels of transparency when describing MPA outcomes are all ways in which prolonged support of MPAs can be bolstered.

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“…Human well-being has emerged as an important concept within the literature on resilience and ecosystem services as a means to analyze the heterogeneous needs of different social groups and identify the winners and losers of change (Coulthard et al 2011, Daw et al 2011, 2015, Armitage et al 2012, Coulthard 2012, Hossain et al 2017. Well-being is defined as "a state of being with others, where human needs are met, where one can act meaningfully to pursue one's goals, and where one enjoys a satisfactory quality of life" (Wellbeing in Developing Countries Understanding the drivers and distributional effects of socialecological change through the combined application of resilience, political ecology, and well-being perspectives entails incorporation of social stratifiers as a means of disaggregating different social groups.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Resilience thinking, however, is criticized for its system-level bias that does not account for the role of power dynamics in navigating social-ecological change and the distribution of costs and benefits associated with change (Cote and Nightingale 2012, Fabinyi et al 2014, Brown 2016). As such, several authors have highlighted the potential of a political ecology perspective in analyzing the asymmetries in power (Peterson 2000, Davoudi 2012, Turner 2013 and have emphasized the need to integrate well-being approaches in addressing the differential needs and values of social actors (Coulthard et al 2011, Armitage et al 2012, Coulthard 2012.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resilience, political ecology, and well-being: an interdisciplinary approach to understanding social-ecological change in coastal Bangladesh

Hoque¹,

Quinn²,

Sallu³

2017

E&S

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ABSTRACT. The commodification of peasant livelihoods through export-oriented aquaculture has brought about significant socialecological changes in low-lying coastal areas in many parts of Asia. A better understanding of the underlying drivers and distributional effects of these changes requires integration of social and ecological approaches that often have different epistemological origins. Resilience thinking has gained increased traction in social-ecological systems research because it provides a dynamic analysis of the cross-scalar interactions between multiple conditions and processes. However, the system-oriented perspective inherent in resilience thinking fails to acknowledge the heterogeneous values, interests, and power of social actors and their roles in navigating social-ecological change. Incorporation of political ecology and well-being perspectives can provide an actor-oriented analysis of the trade-offs associated with change and help to determine which state is desirable for whom. However, empirical demonstrations of such interdisciplinary approaches remain scarce. Here, we explore the combined application of resilience, political ecology, and well-being in investigating the root causes of social-ecological change and identifying the winners and losers of system transformation through empirical analysis of the differential changes in farming systems in two villages in coastal Bangladesh. Using the adaptive cycle as a structuring model, we examine the evolution of the shrimp aquaculture system over the past few decades, particularly looking at the power dynamics between households of different wealth classes. We found that although asymmetric land ownership and political ties enabled the wealthier households to reach their desired farming system in one village, social resilience achieved through memory, leadership, and crisis empowered poorer households to exercise their agency in another village. Material dimensions such as improved living standards, food security, and cash incomes were evidently important; however, freedom to pursue desired livelihood activities, better environmental quality, mental peace, and cultural identities had significant implications for relational and subjective well-being.

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Poverty, sustainability and human wellbeing: A social wellbeing approach to the global fisheries crisis

Cited by 322 publications

References 73 publications

Elasticity in ecosystem services: exploring the variable relationship between ecosystems and human well-being

Elasticity in ecosystem services: exploring the variable relationship between ecosystems and human well-being

Challenging the win-win discourse on conservation and development: analyzing support for marine protected areas

Resilience, political ecology, and well-being: an interdisciplinary approach to understanding social-ecological change in coastal Bangladesh

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