Integrating Ecosystem Services Approach in Achieving Development Goals: The Role of the Geographer

Abstract

The ecosystem services approach is increasingly suggested as a way to achieve the sustainable use of ecosystem products and services. This concept was put firmly on policy agenda by The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report of 2003, even though its history dates back to the 1970s. This has drawn great attention to the study of ecosystem services. Studies in this field has been dominated by those interested in biophysical environment, exploring how natural sciences can protect and enhance goods and services necessary for human wellbeing. Others have focused on economics, measuring and communicating the value of ecosystem services and goods to spur government and other decision makers to take ecological gains and losses into account in decision making process. While this concept is widely adopted in countries such as United Kingdom, Netherlands and Australia, there is little or no attention to this concept and its integration into national and regional developmental objectives in Africa. In societies where the concept has been tested and adopted, geographers have been at the forefront of these developments. This begs the question what role does African geographer play in enhancing the ecosystem service approach in improving the lot of Africans. This paper explores the link between ecosystem services and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), identify potential areas of contribution of African geographers in assessing the relevance and adoptability of the ecosystem service concept in Africa especially in areas such as in mapping, visualization, the manipulation of data via geospatial information systems, generating information for capturing and measuring goods provided by natural systems, enhancing economic decision-making through the widespread promotion of market based instruments for conservation such as markets for ecosystem services and so-called payments for ecosystem services schemes. It is suggested that to achieve efficient outcomes, MDGs and other development goals need to be framed in the context of an ecosystems approach.

Keywords: Africa, Geography, Ecosystem service approach, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)