Public engagement on landscape and ecosytem futures: Wales
Sciencewise-ERC funded project 2011
Background
The Countryside Council for Wales is developing a public engagement / dialogue project to explore the public’s perceptions and opinions about climate related landscape change, and ...
Aims and Objectives
The engagement project has five key questions for the public:
- What value / benefits do the public place on current ecosystems services and benefits today?
- What are the public’s hopes and fears in respect to possible changes to those ecosystem services over the next 10-20 years, as mediated by a) direct climate change, b) mitigation activities and c) adaptation activities?
- Further questions for the public
Delivered By
Resources for Change
An ethical consultancy with a reputation for innovation in involving people in sustainable development and regeneration.
Countryside Council for Wales (CCW)
The Government's statutory advisor on sustaining natural beauty, wildlife and the opportunity for outdoor enjoyment in Wales and its inshore waters.
Cambrian Mountains Initiative
A wide-ranging project that aims to help promote rural enterprise, protect the environment and add value to products and services in Mid Wales.
Latest Status Updates
- Policy workshop held at Welsh Assembly Government offices on 24 February
- First round of workshops complete
Find Out More
- Land Use Climate Change GroupWelsh Assembly Government
- Sustaining Ecosystem Services for Human Well–BeingCountryside Council for Wales
- Natural Capiltal Initiative
- Participatory Ecosystems
- Landscapes of the FutureSciencewise-ERC @ the British Science Festival
- Enabling citizen choices about land use and the natural environmentNatural Capital Initiative open forum
- Putting a price on natureBBC News
- National Ecosystem Assessment
- Future of the CambriansPrince of Wales’ Farmers Marketing Initiative
Key Impacts
- Initial positive policy links were made in the Welsh pilot through a final policy workshop with representatives of the Welsh Assembly Government, so that policy makers could hear public discussions first hand.
- The pilots provided lessons for incorporating participatory approaches to ecosystem valuations, and how these approaches might be developed in future.
- Those who were engaged in the dialogue processes felt they were positive and interesting, and enabled meaningful conversations about issues that are important for local communities.
- The concept of ecosystem services worked well as a neutral entry point to enable communities to have meaningful conversations about landscape and land use planning. It also enabled open discussion of potentially contentious subjects such as wind energy projects with less immediate polarisation of views.
Resources
Quotes
“The non scientific people there were perfectly capable of asking questions and scientists could explain clearly”Participant, Cambrian Mountains process
“We could all discuss without feeling utter Charlies anything we wanted to – it was a very comfortable environment. A transparent and friendly day. My view altered slightly through the discussions. People listened to each other properly and nothing was too silly to discuss.”Participant, Cambrian Mountains process