Концепція плати за послуги екосистем: світовий досвід і перспективи її впровадження у лісовому секторі [Concept of payments for ecosystem services: global experiences and prospects of its implementation in forest sector]

Abstract

The concept of ecosystem services (ES) has recently been gaining increasing recognition within national environmental policies and legislation of many countries. The Law of Ukraine “On Main Principles (Strategy) of National Ecological Policy of Ukraine until 2020” (2011) recognized “implementation of informational and educational campaign on the value of ecosystem services exemplified by ecosystems of Ukraine until 2015, elaboration until 2015 and successive use of ecosystem services valuation” as one of the major priorities of the ecological policy. The law has been barely effective, as can be witnessed by low conversance with the ES concept among both scientists and practitioners in the nature protection sphere, as well as by the absence of proliferation of ecosystem services valuation (ESV) into decision-making on economic and nature protection issues. There is an urgent need in the development and implementation of the forest ecosystem services economic valuation, as elaborative and regulating elements of decision-making process within forestry sector. The ES concept helps to describe the benefits people acquire from nature and natural processes in ways that can influence policy and governance decisions. The ability of trees, forestlands and forests to provide a wide range of ES is greatly dependent on their disposition and the ways forest management is carried out regarding them. Every ES can be assessed in one or several ways, which is dependent on the direct use value, indirect use value or non-use value. ES can be assessed in quantitative terms using economic methods (e.g. direct market valuation, travel cost, contingent valuation). Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, explored in the report. The choice regarding assessment method has to well considered, based on the research objectives and characteristics of its object. Direct payments can be made to the forest owners from the government, introducing a few buyers, e.g. companies that own power stations can buy carbon credits from landowners who practice afforestation. Another option that can be used by large groups of people is the exchange of the ES offsets at the newly created markets – e.g. Chicago Climate Exchange. These payments and markets cover a great variety of ES – ranging from protection of watersheds, support conservation of biodiversity and endangered species to carbon sequestration, protection of wetlands from conversion, as well provision of other benefits. The most common international ES markets are: carbon markets, wetland mitigation banks, water quality markets, biodiversity markets. Considering resemblance of natural conditions and socio-economic peculiarities of post-socialist economy particularly worth attention are projects regarding valuation and integration of ES into decision making implemented WWF in Bulgaria and Romania. It is recommended to consider this practical experience of forest management planning in Ukraine because current forest management planning considers a limited range of forest functions, while ignoring a broad range of ecosystem services. Solving global environmental problems will demand not only ecosystem services markets development but also new institutions based on idea of moral responsibility and cooperation.

Authors and Affiliations

Ihor Soloviy

Keywords

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  • EP ID EP199404
  • DOI -
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How To Cite

Ihor Soloviy (2016). Концепція плати за послуги екосистем: світовий досвід і перспективи її впровадження у лісовому секторі [Concept of payments for ecosystem services: global experiences and prospects of its implementation in forest sector]. Наукові праці Лісівничої академії наук України, 14(), 252-258. https://europub.co.uk./articles/-A-199404