UK National Ecosystem Assessment

The recent NEA synthesis report highlights the range of ecosystem and land use options, decisions and trade-offs facing UK policy over the coming years. It puts a strong emphasis on the role for participatory methods in understanding public preferences and non-market values. It concludes by recommending facilitated dialogue and collaboration between all sectors of society, including communities, citizen and wider civil society.

Some of the key messages – dialogue and participation

There are six key messages from the NEA, of which two highlight the role for participation and dialogue. One of the recommendations in particular suggests that more collaborative working in policy making, including facilitating dialogue with civil society at large is needed.

The recommendation states:
'A move to sustainable development will require an appropriate mixture of regulations, technology, financial investment and education, as well as changes in individual and societal behaviour and adoption of a more integrated, rather than conventional sectoral, approach to ecosystem management. This will need the involvement of a range of different actors – government, the private sector, voluntary organisations and civil society at large – in processes that are open and transparent enough to facilitate dialogue and collaboration and allow necessary trade-offs to be understood and agreed on when making decisions.'

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This article was published on 2nd June 2011.