Characterisation of ecosystem services
Stakeholders, including government and local communities, are engaged in the early design stage of the development of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan. Up-to-date datasets on ecosystem services are identified as critical given their relevance for the Placencia Peninsula region’s economic stability and growth (coastal protection, spiny lobster fisheries, marine tourism and recreation, and carbon storage and sequestration). Data was collected and included within the Natural Capital’s Marine Invest analysis tool in order to carry out ecosystem service valuation.
• Availability of funds and technical know-how to undertake the project
• Good understanding of existing problems and potential management options
• Easy access to relevant information/datasets to undertake the analysis
A good quantitative understanding of the services provided by the targeted natural ecosystems is needed. As such, access to robust and recent datasets is a prerequisite to help inform effective analysis.
Consultation is critical to this work and was braided throughout each step of the project. Stakeholders also included representatives from civil society, government and academia. Their feedback was instrumental in guiding the methodological design and data collection. The scope and timeframe of the study did not allow for extensive engagement of local communities on the Placencia Peninsula; however, the project benefited from the results of other related research to obtain insight on communities’ and private sector’s thinking with respect to ecosystem service provision and climate vulnerability. We regard this as a valuable follow-up activity that should be considered to improve the process and disseminate results.