LifeWatch ERIC & IUCN Med launch a series of Ecosystem Services workshops

LifeWatch ERIC and IUCN Med launch their first workshop in a five part series of interactive peer learning workshops aimed at advancing the planning, management, and governance of Natural Capital through the Ecosystem Services paradigm. This program brings together experts from various institutions to develop tools guiding policymakers and practitioners.

Kicking off in Málaga, Spain, LifeWatch ERIC and IUCN Med opened with an introduction to the conceptual framework and practical integration of Ecosystem Services.

The first workshop of a five-part series took place on Tuesday 18th July 2023 at the IUCN-Med office in Málaga. This marks the beginning of a series of interactive peer learning workshops that will take place between July and October 2023.

This program aims to develop a set of tools to guide scientists, practitioners, and policymakers and governments to effectively account for “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services” (BES) within the economy informing the development of economic policies, market-based mechanisms, fiscal incentives, regulatory frameworks; etc.

Key messages from the first workshop highlighted the opportunity to implement the Green Infrastructure national plan at regional and local levels. The importance of integrating governance, economic & financial aspects into the field of ecosystem services, fostering multidisciplinary collaboration, and effectively managing digital clutter for data gathering were other key highlights. There is an agreed interest in further collaboration to co-create Virtual Research Environments (VREs) of Ecosystem Services linked to the Spanish Strategy on Green Infrastructure, connectivity and ecological restoration such as carbon sequestration and water retention among others.

The Ecosystem Services (ES) Advisory Board is led by LifeWatch ERIC, and the IUCN-Med along with selected experts (including the Green Infrastructure Head from various institutions such as the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Spain), representatives from the the academic sector, including the University of Huelva, Granada and Málaga and the City of Málaga, amongst others). The focus is on advancing planning, management, and governance of Natural Capital through the Ecosystem Services paradigm, with a specific emphasis on the Andalusia (Spain) region.

IUCN Med - LifeWatch ERIC Ecosystem Services Technical workshops comprise of activities promoted by the ALBORÁN, ENBIC2LAB and SMARTECOMOUNTAINS projects, co-financed by FEDER 2014-2020 Multiregional Operational Program Funds for Spain (POPE) for actions in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.

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