Abstract
Focusing on the most impoverished populations, we critically review and synthesise key themes from dominant frameworks for assessing the relationship between well-being and ecosystem services in developing countries. This requires a differentiated approach to conceptualising well-being that appropriately reflects the perspectives of the poorest-those most directly dependent on ecosystem services, and their vulnerability to external and policy-driven environmental change. The frameworks analysed draw upon environmental sciences, economics, psychology, sociology, and anthropology, and were selected on the basis of their demonstrated or potential ability to illustrate the relationship between environmental change and human well-being, as well as their prevalence in real world applications. Thus, the synthesis offered here is informed by the various theoretical, methodological, and hermeneutical contributions from each field to the notion of well-being. The review highlights several key dimensions that should be considered by those interested in understanding and assessing the impact of environmental change on the well-being of the world's poorest people: the importance of interdisciplinary consideration of well-being, the need for frameworks that integrate subjective and objective aspects of well-being, and the central importance of context and relational aspects of well-being. The review is of particular interest to those engaged in the post-2015 development agenda.
Highlights
Myriad policies have been developed and implemented in an attempt to minimise the impact of biodiversity loss, habitat degradation and land-use change on people and the environment (Angelsen 2008; Engel et al 2008; Heller and Zavaleta 2009; Stern 2009; TEEB 2010; GEF 2012)
This review is targeted towards those researching and implementing environmental interventions, as well as those interested in understanding determinants of the Environmental change and human well-being / 439 well-being of the world’s poor, as it relates to the natural environment
As well as the key constituents of autonomy, material resources, health, social relations, security and the key dimensions of spatial and temporal scale, general principles emerge from this review of different approaches to understanding well-being with respect to environmental change
Summary
Myriad policies have been developed and implemented in an attempt to minimise the impact of biodiversity loss, habitat degradation and land-use change on people and the environment (Angelsen 2008; Engel et al 2008; Heller and Zavaleta 2009; Stern 2009; TEEB 2010; GEF 2012). Our specific focus is on understanding how natural and policy-driven environmental changes affect the well-being of the world’s poorest people To this end we undertake an interdisciplinary review of several well-being frameworks to identify what insights they can offer regarding the relationship between environmental interventions and human well-being. This review is targeted towards those researching and implementing environmental interventions (and conservation and ecosystem service interventions), as well as those interested in understanding determinants of the Environmental change and human well-being / 439 well-being of the world’s poor, as it relates to the natural environment This includes conservationists, policy makers, development agencies, natural resource managers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and academics. An alternative approach is to develop a unique measure
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