TY - JOUR

T1 - A new valuation school

T2 - Integrating diverse values of nature in resource and land use decisions

AU - Jacobs, Sander

AU - Dendoncker, Nicolas

AU - Martín-López, Berta

AU - Barton, David Nicholas

AU - Gomez-Baggethun, Erik

AU - Boeraeve, Fanny

AU - McGrath, Francesca L.

AU - Vierikko, Kati

AU - Geneletti, Davide

AU - Sevecke, Katharina J.

AU - Pipart, Nathalie

AU - Primmer, Eeva

AU - Mederly, Peter

AU - Schmidt, Stefan

AU - Aragão, Alexandra

AU - Baral, Himlal

AU - Bark, Rosalind H.

AU - Briceno, Tania

AU - Brogna, Delphine

AU - Cabral, Pedro

AU - De Vreese, Rik

AU - Liquete, Camino

AU - Mueller, Hannah

AU - Peh, Kelvin S.- H.

AU - Phelan, Anna

AU - Rincón, Alexander R.

AU - Rogers, Shannon H.

AU - Turkelboom, Francis

AU - Van Reeth, Wouter

AU - van Zanten, Boris T.

AU - Wam, Hilde Karine

AU - Washbourn, Carla Leanne

PY - 2016/12/1

Y1 - 2016/12/1

N2 - We are increasingly confronted with severe social and economic impacts of environmental degradation all over the world. From a valuation perspective, environmental problems and conflicts originate from trade-offs between values. The urgency and importance to integrate nature's diverse values in decisions and actions stand out more than ever. Valuation, in its broad sense of ‘assigning importance’, is inherently part of most decisions on natural resource and land use. Scholars from different traditions -while moving from heuristic interdisciplinary debate to applied transdisciplinary science- now acknowledge the need for combining multiple disciplines and methods to represent the diverse set of values of nature. This growing group of scientists and practitioners share the ambition to explore how combinations of ecological, socio-cultural and economic valuation tools can support real-life resource and land use decision-making. The current sustainability challenges and the ineffectiveness of single-value approaches to offer relief demonstrate that continuing along a single path is no option. We advocate for the adherence of a plural valuation culture and its establishment as a common practice, by contesting and complementing ineffective and discriminatory single-value approaches. In policy and decision contexts with a willingness to improve sustainability, integrated valuation approaches can be blended in existing processes, whereas in contexts of power asymmetries or environmental conflicts, integrated valuation can promote the inclusion of diverse values through action research and support the struggle for social and environmental justice. The special issue and this editorial synthesis paper bring together lessons from pioneer case studies and research papers, synthesizing main challenges and setting out priorities for the years to come for the field of integrated valuation.

AB - We are increasingly confronted with severe social and economic impacts of environmental degradation all over the world. From a valuation perspective, environmental problems and conflicts originate from trade-offs between values. The urgency and importance to integrate nature's diverse values in decisions and actions stand out more than ever. Valuation, in its broad sense of ‘assigning importance’, is inherently part of most decisions on natural resource and land use. Scholars from different traditions -while moving from heuristic interdisciplinary debate to applied transdisciplinary science- now acknowledge the need for combining multiple disciplines and methods to represent the diverse set of values of nature. This growing group of scientists and practitioners share the ambition to explore how combinations of ecological, socio-cultural and economic valuation tools can support real-life resource and land use decision-making. The current sustainability challenges and the ineffectiveness of single-value approaches to offer relief demonstrate that continuing along a single path is no option. We advocate for the adherence of a plural valuation culture and its establishment as a common practice, by contesting and complementing ineffective and discriminatory single-value approaches. In policy and decision contexts with a willingness to improve sustainability, integrated valuation approaches can be blended in existing processes, whereas in contexts of power asymmetries or environmental conflicts, integrated valuation can promote the inclusion of diverse values through action research and support the struggle for social and environmental justice. The special issue and this editorial synthesis paper bring together lessons from pioneer case studies and research papers, synthesizing main challenges and setting out priorities for the years to come for the field of integrated valuation.

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Benefits of nature

KW - Decision support

KW - Ecosystem services

KW - Integrated valuation

KW - Intrinsic value

KW - Participation

KW - Quality of life

KW - Social and environmental justice

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85007203205&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ecoser.2016.11.007

DO - 10.1016/j.ecoser.2016.11.007

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85007203205

VL - 22

SP - 213

EP - 220

JO - Ecosystem Services

JF - Ecosystem Services

SN - 2212-0416

IS - Part B

ER -