Benefits For Human Well-being Research Articles

Integration of LiDAR and Pleiades Data in Identifying the Potential of Hazardous Trees

Trees beautify the landscape and provide numerous benefits for human well-being. Without proper maintenance and mitigating, the hazardous trees with structural defects can be harmful to the local community. In practice, the hazardous trees can be assessed using visual tree assessment (VTA), expertise interview and questionnaire. The advancement in remote sensing technology provides users with alternative ways to identify the hazardous trees and is very efficient especially in large areas. The intent of this study is to identify the potential of the tree hazard in UiTM Shah Alam from the integration of LiDAR and Pleiades dataset. Tree health condition and tree height were derived from LiDAR and Pleiades dataset. Height of trees were extracted from a digital canopy height model (DCHM) and the condition of tree health were assessed based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values. Both parameters were used to classify the individual into low, moderate and high-risk ratings. The findings demonstrated that the integration of both datasets successfully identified the potential of tree hazard at the study area. Altogether 108 of individual trees were detected. 7 and 67 trees were identified as high and moderate risk respectively. This study derived significant findings that can be used to support the maintenance of tree activities in the campus area and significant to private and government sectors such park management and local authorities.

Investigating preferences for soil-based ecosystem services

Abstract Soil provides multiple benefits for human well-being that are largely invisible to most beneficiaries. Here, we present the results of a discrete choice experiment on the preferences of Germans for soil-based ecosystem services. In an attempt to reduce complexity for respondents, we express soil-based ecosystem service attributes relative to the site-specific potential of soils to provide them. We investigate how knowledge about soils, awareness of their contributions to human well-being, and experience with droughts and floods affect preferences. We find substantial yet heterogeneous preferences for soil-based ecosystem services. Only some measures of familiarity exhibit significant effects on preferences.

A balancing act: Biodiversity and human wellbeing considerations in the management of urban forest in a global biodiversity hotspot

Environmental and urban forest managers in cities located in highly biodiverse regions may need to balance biodiversity conservation with the provision of ecosystem services to people. However, striking this balance is not easy and many competing factors influence the decision-making process. Set in the Perth Metropolitan Area, located in the global biodiversity hotspot of the Southwestern Australia Floristic Province, this study aimed to understand: (i) the extent to which a benefits-oriented approach is used by local governments to optimise biodiversity and human wellbeing urban forest outcomes, and (ii) what other factors influence the decision-making process shaping urban forest composition. Using a social-ecological framework, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 29 local government practitioners. We found that biodiversity conservation is actively considered in the planning and management of urban forest in natural areas and parks, but rarely in streetscapes. Maximising shade and cooling, and to a lesser extent enhancing sense of place, were the key benefits actively sought in streetscapes. Parks appeared to straddle the middle ground as areas with most flexibility to accommodate multiple biodiversity and human wellbeing benefits. Yet, benefits were only some of a multitude of social-ecological factors influencing the decision-making process shaping urban forest composition. In particular, streetscapes were affected by a large number of social and political factors (e.g., perceived risk and nuisance, ad-hoc decisions by elected members), many of them leading to suboptimal urban forest outcomes. For a benefits-oriented approach to prevail in complex and contested urban spaces it is important that the decision-making process is evidence-informed and capable of handling the challenges and conflicts that are likely to arise. Reactive decision-making results in a conservative, “safe” species palette that over time defines streetscapes by what they do not do (creating disservices) rather than what they do (delivering multiple biodiversity and wellbeing benefits), which ultimately is not a desired outcome in the context of an increasingly urbanized world.

Human well-being and natural capital indicators for Great Lakes waterfront revitalization

Revitalization of natural capital amenities at the Great Lakes waterfront can result from sediment remediation, habitat restoration, climate resilience projects, brownfield reuse, economic redevelopment and other efforts. Practical indicators are needed to assess the cultural, health, and socioeconomic benefits of these investments. We compiled U.S. census-tract scale data for five Great Lakes communities: Duluth/Superior, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Chicago, and Cleveland. We downloaded data from the US Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and non-governmental organizations. We compiled a final set of 19 human well-being (HWB) metrics and 26 metrics representing attributes of natural and seminatural amenities (natural capital). We rated the reliability of metrics according to their consistency of correlations with metrics of the other type (HWB vs. natural capital) at the census-tract scale, how often they were correlated in the expected direction, strength of correlations, and other attributes. Among the highest rated HWB indicators were measures of mean health, mental health, home ownership, home value, life success, and educational attainment. Highest rated natural capital metrics included tree cover and impervious surface metrics, walkability, density of recreational amenities, and shoreline type. Two sociodemographic covariates, household income and population density, had a strong influence on the strength of associations between HWB and natural capital and must be included in any assessment of change in HWB benefits at the waterfront. Our findings are a starting point for applying already available HWB and natural capital indicators in a waterfront revitalization context.

Buffering Climate Change with Nature

Abstract It is increasingly evident that climate sustainability depends not only on societal actions and responses, but also on ecosystem functioning and responses. The capacity of global ecosystems to provide services such as sequestering carbon and regulating hydrology is being strongly reduced both by climate change itself and by unprecedented rates of ecosystem degradation. These services rely on functional aspects of ecosystems that are causally linked—the same ecosystem components that efficiently sequester and store carbon also regulate hydrology by sequestering and storing water. This means that climate change adaptation and mitigation must involve not only preparing for a future with temperature and precipitation anomalies, but also actively minimizing climate hazards and risks by conserving and managing ecosystems and their fundamental supporting and regulating ecosystem services. We summarize general climate–nature feedback processes relating to carbon and water cycling on a broad global scale before focusing on Norway to exemplify the crucial role of ecosystem regulatory services for both carbon sequestration and hydrological processes and the common neglect of this ecosystem–climate link in policy and landscape management. We argue that a key instrument for both climate change mitigation and adaptation policy is to take advantage of the climate buffering and regulative abilities of a well-functioning natural ecosystem. This will enable shared benefits to nature, climate, and human well-being. To meet the global climate and nature crises, we must capitalize on the importance of nature for buffering climate change effects, combat short-term perspectives and the discounting of future costs, and maintain or even strengthen whole-ecosystem functioning at the landscape level. Significance Statement Natural ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, and heaths are key for the cycling and storage of water and carbon. Preserving these systems is essential for climate mitigation and adaptation and will also secure biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. Systematic failure to recognize the links between nature and human well-being underlies the current trend of accelerating loss of nature and thereby nature’s ability to buffer climate changes and their impacts. Society needs a new perspective on spatial planning that values nature as a sink and store of carbon and a regulator of hydrological processes, as well as for its biodiversity. We need policies that fully encompass the role of nature in preventing climate-induced disasters, along with many other benefits for human well-being.

Enhancing China's ecological sustainability through more optimized investment

China has tremendously invested in a set of ecological sustainability programs since the late 1970 s. Although the positive ecological benefits for human well-being have dramatically increased, these large-scale investments are still confronted with some drawbacks and lack a more comprehensive and precise understanding. Here, we quantitatively presented an overall portrait of spatial distribution, temporal trends and inter-annual variations of ecological investments for ten representative programs in the period 1978–2018 from national to provincial levels. Overall, the Chinese government has invested US$197.59 billion (in 2015 US$) for all the programs in total with the top three amounts in Southwest China, North China and Northwest China. We found that the investments for all the programs had gone through a rapid increase since 2000 with a much faster growth rate in Central China and East China. At the national level, the investments of ecological sustainability programs showed good stability and continuity. However, their annual investments varied greatly among different provinces. For instance, the Shelterbelt Development Program in Five Regions including the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River coastal areas was interrupted for more than ten years and showed weak stability in some specific provinces. It is suggested that China should adopt more optimized investment strategies in terms of distribution, stability and continuity through augmenting government funds and diversifying financial pathways for the ecological sustainability programs.

Article continued - Outcomes of the Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA)


 
 Issue consists of one article divided into downloadable PDFS.
 The Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA) was a collaborative venture between the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa (LepSoc Africa), the Brenton Blue Trust (BBT) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and formed part of the National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA). SALCA was founded on the importance of Lepidoptera both ecologically and as biodiversity indicators and the proven expertise of the participants during the Southern African Butterfly Conservation Assessment (SABCA). The main outcomes of the SALCA project are presented and discussed here.The SALCA tool, a custom-designed interactive distribution database, enabled high quality data to be derived so that accurate conservation assessments could be produced in accordance with IUCN methodology. The Red Lists of SALCA and SABCA facilitated the first opportunity to calculate the Red List Index (RLI) for South African butterflies during the period from 2012–2018. Other metrics required for the NBA included protection level and threats analyses. A further outcome was the critical habitat mapping for butterflies, which formed part of a screening tool implemented by SANBI, to ensure that land use changes did not cause any further loss of butterfly biodiversity.A comprehensive distribution database was developed for South African moths, enabling data to be analysed so that moth species potentially threatened could be short-listed for further investigation.Geographical hotspots and ecosystems (vegetation types) containing butterflies of conservation concern are highlighted. The societal, economic and human wellbeing benefits of conserving Lepidoptera are identified. Responses by LepSoc Africa to the increasing pressures on South African Lepidoptera biodiversity, are also reported on and discussed. The significant outcomes of SABCA and SALCA are benchmarked against a well-known European butterfly atlasing and conservation assessment project.The 165 SALCA Red Lists and conservation assessments are presented at the end of this publication.
 
 
 
 
 
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 Published
 2022-03-27
 
 
 
 Issue
 Vol. 31 No. 4 (2020)
 
 
 Section
 Articles
 
 
 
 All copyright for publications belongs to the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa NPC (LepSoc Africa) and/or the individual author(s), in terms of a Creative Commons license, which can be viewed at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/, and which only allows users to copy, distribute and transmit the work, whilst prohibiting commercial use and preventing alteration, transformation of, or building upon the work. The finally formatted, printed version is under the copyright of LepSoc Africa as the publisher, although the author(s) retain the right to fully use the content of the article, provided that the publisher is acknowledged. Text extracts may be used by third parties with prior, written permission from the Metamorphosis Editor and (as a minimum) the senior author. The journal name, volume, number and date of publication must be acknowledged by the third party together with the author(s) and title of the article.
 

Article continued - Outcomes of the Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA)

Issue consists of one article divided into downloadable PDFS.
 The Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA) was a collaborative venture between the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa (LepSoc Africa), the Brenton Blue Trust (BBT) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and formed part of the National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA). SALCA was founded on the importance of Lepidoptera both ecologically and as biodiversity indicators and the proven expertise of the participants during the Southern African Butterfly Conservation Assessment (SABCA). The main outcomes of the SALCA project are presented and discussed here.The SALCA tool, a custom-designed interactive distribution database, enabled high quality data to be derived so that accurate conservation assessments could be produced in accordance with IUCN methodology. The Red Lists of SALCA and SABCA facilitated the first opportunity to calculate the Red List Index (RLI) for South African butterflies during the period from 2012–2018. Other metrics required for the NBA included protection level and threats analyses. A further outcome was the critical habitat mapping for butterflies, which formed part of a screening tool implemented by SANBI, to ensure that land use changes did not cause any further loss of butterfly biodiversity.A comprehensive distribution database was developed for South African moths, enabling data to be analysed so that moth species potentially threatened could be short-listed for further investigation.Geographical hotspots and ecosystems (vegetation types) containing butterflies of conservation concern are highlighted. The societal, economic and human wellbeing benefits of conserving Lepidoptera are identified. Responses by LepSoc Africa to the increasing pressures on South African Lepidoptera biodiversity, are also reported on and discussed. The significant outcomes of SABCA and SALCA are benchmarked against a well-known European butterfly atlasing and conservation assessment project.The 165 SALCA Red Lists and conservation assessments are presented at the end of this publication.

Article continued - Outcomes of the Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA)

Issue consists of one article divided into downloadable PDFS.
 The Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA) was a collaborative venture between the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa (LepSoc Africa), the Brenton Blue Trust (BBT) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and formed part of the National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA). SALCA was founded on the importance of Lepidoptera both ecologically and as biodiversity indicators and the proven expertise of the participants during the Southern African Butterfly Conservation Assessment (SABCA). The main outcomes of the SALCA project are presented and discussed here.The SALCA tool, a custom-designed interactive distribution database, enabled high quality data to be derived so that accurate conservation assessments could be produced in accordance with IUCN methodology. The Red Lists of SALCA and SABCA facilitated the first opportunity to calculate the Red List Index (RLI) for South African butterflies during the period from 2012–2018. Other metrics required for the NBA included protection level and threats analyses. A further outcome was the critical habitat mapping for butterflies, which formed part of a screening tool implemented by SANBI, to ensure that land use changes did not cause any further loss of butterfly biodiversity.A comprehensive distribution database was developed for South African moths, enabling data to be analysed so that moth species potentially threatened could be short-listed for further investigation.Geographical hotspots and ecosystems (vegetation types) containing butterflies of conservation concern are highlighted. The societal, economic and human wellbeing benefits of conserving Lepidoptera are identified. Responses by LepSoc Africa to the increasing pressures on South African Lepidoptera biodiversity, are also reported on and discussed. The significant outcomes of SABCA and SALCA are benchmarked against a well-known European butterfly atlasing and conservation assessment project.The 165 SALCA Red Lists and conservation assessments are presented at the end of this publication.

Outcomes of the Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA)

The Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA) was a collaborative venture between the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa (LepSoc Africa), the Brenton Blue Trust (BBT) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and formed part of the National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA). SALCA was founded on the importance of Lepidoptera both ecologically and as biodiversity indicators and the proven expertise of the participants during the Southern African Butterfly Conservation Assessment (SABCA). The main outcomes of the SALCA project are presented and discussed here.The SALCA tool, a custom-designed interactive distribution database, enabled high quality data to be derived so that accurate conservation assessments could be produced in accordance with IUCN methodology. The Red Lists of SALCA and SABCA facilitated the first opportunity to calculate the Red List Index (RLI) for South African butterflies during the period from 2012–2018. Other metrics required for the NBA included protection level and threats analyses. A further outcome was the critical habitat mapping for butterflies, which formed part of a screening tool implemented by SANBI, to ensure that land use changes did not cause any further loss of butterfly biodiversity.A comprehensive distribution database was developed for South African moths, enabling data to be analysed so that moth species potentially threatened could be short-listed for further investigation.Geographical hotspots and ecosystems (vegetation types) containing butterflies of conservation concern are highlighted. The societal, economic and human wellbeing benefits of conserving Lepidoptera are identified. Responses by LepSoc Africa to the increasing pressures on South African Lepidoptera biodiversity, are also reported on and discussed. The significant outcomes of SABCA and SALCA are benchmarked against a well-known European butterfly atlasing and conservation assessment project.The 165 SALCA Red Lists and conservation assessments are presented at the end of this publication.

Article continued - Outcomes of the Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA)

Issue consists of one article divided into downloadable PDFS.
 The Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA) was a collaborative venture between the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa (LepSoc Africa), the Brenton Blue Trust (BBT) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and formed part of the National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA). SALCA was founded on the importance of Lepidoptera both ecologically and as biodiversity indicators and the proven expertise of the participants during the Southern African Butterfly Conservation Assessment (SABCA). The main outcomes of the SALCA project are presented and discussed here.The SALCA tool, a custom-designed interactive distribution database, enabled high quality data to be derived so that accurate conservation assessments could be produced in accordance with IUCN methodology. The Red Lists of SALCA and SABCA facilitated the first opportunity to calculate the Red List Index (RLI) for South African butterflies during the period from 2012–2018. Other metrics required for the NBA included protection level and threats analyses. A further outcome was the critical habitat mapping for butterflies, which formed part of a screening tool implemented by SANBI, to ensure that land use changes did not cause any further loss of butterfly biodiversity.A comprehensive distribution database was developed for South African moths, enabling data to be analysed so that moth species potentially threatened could be short-listed for further investigation.Geographical hotspots and ecosystems (vegetation types) containing butterflies of conservation concern are highlighted. The societal, economic and human wellbeing benefits of conserving Lepidoptera are identified. Responses by LepSoc Africa to the increasing pressures on South African Lepidoptera biodiversity, are also reported on and discussed. The significant outcomes of SABCA and SALCA are benchmarked against a well-known European butterfly atlasing and conservation assessment project.The 165 SALCA Red Lists and conservation assessments are presented at the end of this publication.

To store or to drain — To lose or to gain? Rewetting drained peatlands as a measure for increasing water storage in the transboundary Neman River Basin

Agriculture continues to place unwanted pressure on peatland functionality, despite international recognition calling for their conservation and restoration. Rewetting of peatlands is often the first step of restoration that aims towards improving the delivery of ecosystem services and their benefits for human well-being. Ongoing debates on peatland restoration in agricultural landscapes raise several issues based on the valuation of benefits achieved versus the costs of peatland restoration. Using the transborder Neman River Basin in North-Eastern Europe, this study aimed to quantify and evaluate the gains provided by peatland rewetting. To achieve this, this study estimated i) possible changes in water storage capacity from peatland restoration, ii) the value of expected benefits from restoration and iii) costs of restoration measures at the overarching basin level. Applying multiple assumptions, it was revealed that rewetting drained peatlands in the Neman River Basin could increase water retention by 23.6–118 M m3. This corresponds to 0.14–0.7% of the total annual Neman River discharge into the Baltic Sea. Unit increase of water retention volume due to rewetting ranged between 69 and 344 m3·ha−1. The estimated water retention value ranged between 12 and 60.2 M EUR·year−1. It was also shown that peatland rewetting at the scale of Neman River Basin would cost from 6.8 M and 51.5 M EUR·year−1 depending on the selected scenario. Applying less expensive rewetting measures (non-regulated outflow from ditch blocks), the economic gains (as water storage ecosystem service of rewetted peatlands) from rewetting exceed the costs of rewetting. Thus, rewetting peatlands at a river-basin scale can be considered technically and economically efficient measures towards sustainable management of agricultural landscapes. The novel methodology applied in this study can be used when valuing trade-offs between the rewetting of drained peatlands and leaving them drained for the uncertain future of wetland agriculture.

Perceptions of ecosystem services and disservices associated with open water swimming

Open water swimming is becoming an increasingly popular recreational activity. Understanding the human well-being benefits that open water swimmers derive from interaction with outdoor spaces is fundamental to environmental decision making, yet little is currently known about the benefits, threats and needs of open water swimmers in relation to the environments they swim in. In this study we provide a balanced assessment of the perceived cultural ecosystem services (CES) and ecosystem disservices (EDS) experienced by open water swimmers in the UK. Factor analysis based on an online questionnaire with 505 respondents revealed three distinct clusters of CES benefits that contribute to human well-being (‘spiritual value and interaction with nature’, ‘mental and physical health’, and ‘social bonds’). Swimming frequency, site type, gender and whether respondents were members of environmental groups affected response patterns towards CES benefits. There were five distinct clusters of EDS (‘natural hazards’, ‘security and safety (health)’, ‘security and safety (weather)’, ‘recreation’ and ‘material (biotic and abiotic)’. Key EDS ranked as an issue (by more than 50% of respondents) related to water quality, currents, rubbish and litter in water bodies and boat traffic. Swimming duration, age and swimming frequency in particular affected response patterns surrounding EDS, and to a small extent the site type. The results can be used to support the effective implementation of national and international policy, which aims to improve human well-being through encouraging use of outdoor spaces, whilst promoting the conservation and sustainable use of freshwater and marine ecosystems. The results of this study support effective ecosystem management of aquatic environments used by recreational open water swimmers through: - Facilitating the inclusion of cultural ecosystem services/ ecosystem disservices experienced by open water swimmers in management planning - Identifying the main human well-being benefits experienced by open water swimmers when interacting with waterbodies and demonstrating that these vary depending on the demographics of the recreational user, and characteristics of the recreational activity - Understanding the main ecosystem disservices experienced by open water swimmers and identifying management actions to address these - Providing a framework that can be used for similar assessments

Cryosphere Services to Support SDGs in High Mountains

The cryosphere is able to provide a variety of services for the benefit of human well-being and underpins regional sustainable development. The cryosphere deterioration induced by climate change is impacting the services and will subsequently impede the efforts to meet sustainable development goals (SDGs) in high mountain societies. Here, we detail the context of cryosphere services and establish a dataset for its linkage to SDGs. This allows us to uncover its roles in supporting SDGs, directly by a causal connection and indirectly through either cascading effects or interconnection among SDGs. We find that the SDGs in association with the basic needs of high mountain societies are mostly affected by the cryosphere services. The different types of services pitch in with distinctions to be embraced by various SDGs, whilst some play a prominent role in the contribution to a broad range of SDGs. We further investigate how the services behave in their contributions to SDGs, by taking a view via the lens of a network that deciphers the relationship between the services and SDG targets as well as the interconnections among SDG targets. With an insight into the centrality and modularity of services in the network, we then delineate the inherent criticality of services to SDG targets as a whole, and reveal the specificity of services that co-contribute to a cluster of SDG targets in each network community. We take out the services from the network and maintain their interlinks to the targets of each underlying SDG system represented in six key entry points, so that the services critical to the transformation pathways in the entry points for SDGs in high mountains can be identified. Finally, we discuss the trade-offs that can occur in high mountains, which is unique for the cryosphere services. It creates more complexity in the assessment of overall benefits that the cryosphere services may provide to SDGs, and urges the balance that has to be maintained in attaining those services for the transformation.

Public understanding and awareness of insects in Iraq

Public awareness of insects could be a good starting point to achieve conservation of different taxa of environmental importance. To investigate the degree of individuals’ concept and awareness of insects, a survey study conducted with public in Iraq. Results showed average knowledge of insects’ concepts among public in Iraq and comparatively a slightly higher awareness. Examining those results concerning some socio-demographic characteristics of participants indicated no relationship between these characteristics and awareness. Moreover, participants’ gender and attending an Entomology course did not influence participants understanding of insects. While participants from rural areas showed a better understanding of insect concept than urban participants. While interestingly, participants who enrolled in a University have less knowledge about insects than who did not. Although this study showed an average in general understanding and awareness among public towards insects, it indicates shortcoming in understanding and awareness among University students in general and among students who attended Entomology course to these important taxa. This advocate to develop educational strategies that take into consideration how to motivate students to engage with their environment. Furthermore, supporting public engagement in the significance of insects for both ecosystems and human well-being benefits. Therefore, focusing education campaigns and awareness raising for public towards insects and other underestimated species are urgently needed.

Pongamia: A Possible Option for Degraded Land Restoration and Bioenergy Production in Indonesia

Indonesia has 14 million ha of degraded and marginal land, which provides very few benefits for human wellbeing or biodiversity. This degraded land may require restoration. The leguminous tree Pongamia pinnata syn. Milettia pinnata (pongamia) has potential for producing biofuel while simultaneously restoring degraded land. However, there is limited information on this potential for consideration. This paper aims to address the scientific knowledge gap on pongamia by exploring its potential as a biofuel and for restoring degraded land in Indonesia. We applied a literature review to collect relevant information of pongamia, which we analyzed through narrative qualitative and narrative comparative methods with careful compilation and scientific interpretation of retrieved information. The review revealed that pongamia occurs naturally across Indonesia, in Sumatra, Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku. It can grow to a height of 15–20 m and thrive in a range of harsh environmental conditions. Its seeds can generate up to 40% crude pongamia oil by weight. It is a nitrogen-fixing tree that can help restore degraded land and improve soil properties. Pongamia also provides wood, fodder, medicine, fertilizer and biogas. As a multipurpose species, pongamia holds great potential for combating Indonesia’s energy demand and restoring much of the degraded land. However, the potential competition for land and for raw material with other biomass uses must be carefully managed.

Resilient Governance Regimes That Support Urban Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Cities: Learning From Local Challenges

Local governments in Sub-Saharan Africa face the daunting task of high urban growth and potentially devastating impacts of climate change across local communities and the economy. Urban and peri-urban food production can be among nature-based strategies planned for improving urban food security, reducing emissions, and climate adaptation. Co-operative governance, strategic planning, and accountable institutions are needed to support urban agriculture (UA), in the face of climate risks, unplanned urban development, the gendered nature of food provision, and the inability of urban farmers to self-organize toward optimal market and land access outcomes. Using a case study approach guided by qualitative content analysis with information derived from web analysis, we apply the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework to analyze underlying governance factors for UA in three selected Sub-Saharan African cities. Our three case cities of Kampala, Tamale and Cape Town reveal that UA is beginning to receive policy attention toward food security, and recognition for generating environmental, ecological, health, and human well-being benefits. Literature from specific cities however does not yet signal a local awareness and policy thrust regarding the associated and pertinent climate adaptation benefits of urban agriculture. We therefore recommend trans-disciplinary, locally-led, planning-based, and multi-sectoral approaches, involving a range of stakeholders toward recognizing and achieving the climate adaptation, environmental (ecologically restorative) and food security benefits of pursuing urban agriculture. This signals a larger role for the practice in sustainability discourse and SDGs 2 and 11, scaling out and up across large, medium and small towns, and cities of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mapping and Evaluating Marine Protected Areas and Ecosystem Services: A Transdisciplinary Delphi Forecasting Process Framework

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are an important tool for management and conservation and play an increasingly recognised role in societal and human well-being. However, the assessment of MPAs often lacks a simultaneous consideration of ecological and socio-economic outcomes, and this can lead to misconceptions on the effectiveness of MPAs. In this perspective, we present a transdisciplinary approach based on the Delphi method for mapping and evaluating Marine Protected Areas for their ability to protect biodiversity while providing Ecosystem Services (ES) and related human well-being benefits – i.e., the ecosystem outputs from which people benefit. We highlight the need to include the human dimensions of marine protection in such assessments, given that the effectiveness of MPAs over time is conditional on the social, cultural and institutional contexts in which MPAs evolve. Our approach supports Ecosystem-Based Management and highlights the importance of MPAs in achieving restoration, conservation, and sustainable development objectives in relation to EU Directives such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (MSPD), and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

Delivering an enabling environment and multiple benefits for land degradation neutrality: Stakeholder perceptions and progress

Achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN) was adopted by countries in 2015 as one of the targets of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As LDN is a relatively new concept there is an increasing need for evidence on the potential socio-economic and environmental benefits of LDN as well as how an enabling environment for implementing LDN measures can be developed. This paper summarises the results from a global survey of LDN stakeholders, and a review of national progress in target setting that was commissioned by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 2018. The study presents the perceptions of relevant stakeholders on the key components of an enabling environment for achieving and maintaining LDN (institutional, financial, policy/regulatory, and science-policy) as well as expectations of multiple benefits from its implementation. We also highlight key challenges and gaps in progress to date that are emerging from ongoing national target setting programs to implement LDN. The study finds that progress in implementing LDN has been widespread across countries. However there remains a lack of awareness of LDN and its key concepts along with high-level political buy-in. This may be impeding the integration of LDN into national development planning and budgeting processes where progress was assessed as limited. National capacities for securing land tenure and governance arrangements and integrated land use planning were perceived as comparatively low, further hampering the implementation of LDN. Despite these gaps, most stakeholders (>90 %) who participated in the global survey expected LDN to deliver a broad range of multiple benefits for human wellbeing, livelihoods and the natural environment. We argue that greater efforts are needed to raise awareness of LDN, educate core stakeholders in its concepts, enablers and benefits, raise its political profile, and provide evidence on national measures that will support implementation of LDN.

Development of Peanut Breeding Lines With High Oleic Acid Content

High oleic acid content is an important element of peanut seed quality regarding its nutritious benefits for human well-being and extended shelf-life for peanut products. To improve the oleic acid content of popular peanut varieties in India, two peanut varieties were hybridized with high oleic acid content donor and advanced. AS-PCR and CAPS markers were used to track ahFAD2 mutant alleles. The fatty acid analysis was done in advanced generations using gas chromatography. Thirty-seven peanut breeding lines were identified with high oleic acid content ranging from 77% to 81%. These high oleic peanut breeding lines had O/L ratio of more than industrially acceptable ratio of 9. Breeding lines developed in the present study having higher oleic acid content are health-friendly and will expand the applicability of peanut oil in different industrial areas.