Integrating Ecosystem Services values for sustainability? Evidence from the Belgium Ecosystem Services community of practice

• Published in: Ecosystem services Vol. 31; pp. 68 - 76
• Main Authors: Dendoncker, Nicolas, Turkelboom, Francis, Boeraeve, Fanny, Boerema, Annelies, Broekx, Steven, Fontaine, Corentin, Demeyer, Rolinde, De Vreese, Rik, Devillet, Guénaël, Keune, Hans, Janssens, Lieve, Liekens, Inge, Lord-Tarte, Evelyne, Popa, Florin, Simoens, Ilse, Smeets, Nele, Ulenaers, Paula, Van Herzele, Ann, Van Tichelen, Katia, Jacobs, Sander
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.06.2018; Elsevier
• Subjects: Best practices; Community of practice; Decision-making; Environmental sciences & ecology; Geographie humaine & démographie; Human geography & demography; Integrated valuation; Life sciences; Sciences de l’environnement & écologie; Sciences du vivant; Sciences sociales & comportementales, psychologie; Social & behavioral sciences, psychology; Sociologie & sciences sociales; Sociology & social sciences; Stakeholders; Decision-making; Integrated valuation; Community of practice; Stakeholders; Best practices
• ISSN: 2212-0416; 2212-0416
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2018.03.006

•Communities of practice on ecosystem services foster science-policy practice collaboration.•Impacts of Belgian ecosystem services practice on decision-making remain unclear.•Real co-constructed transdisciplinary studies are yet to be undertaken.•Sustainability issues in ecosystem services assessments are largely ignored.•Further research should review best practice to guide decision-making. Through a reflexive study, we performed a reality check of how Ecosystem Services valuation is performed compared to what could be referred to as a “theoretical ideal” of the BElgium Ecosystem Services (BEES) community of practice, reflecting the salient recent international literature on integrated valuation. By surveying the most recent case studies doing valuation, our results highlight that stakeholders are always included, a variety of values are generally accounted for using a diversity of methods, and increasingly transdisciplinary approaches. However, the main findings that (1) impacts on decision-making remain unclear, (2) real transdisciplinary studies, co-constructed by scientists and stakeholders are yet to be undertaken, and (3) sustainability issues (thresholds & fairness) are largely ignored, call for further research on how to conduct integrated and inclusive ES valuations. We argue that communities of practice such as BEES are appropriate arenas to foster such transdisciplinary studies, by facilitating the inclusion of a broad range of values and actors. We call for a broader review of best practices for ES integrated valuation, to identify factors of success, and guide further scientific research that aims at improving ES practice for decision-making.