Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis to identify dryland ecosystem service trade-offs under different rangeland land uses

Favretto, N. and Stringer, L.C. and Dougill, A.J. and Dallimer, M. and Perkins, J.S. and Reed, M.S. and Atlhopheng, J.R. and Mulale, K. (2016) Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis to identify dryland ecosystem service trade-offs under different rangeland land uses. Ecosystem Services, 17. pp. 142-151. ISSN 22120416 (ISSN)

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Abstract

Land degradation undermines ecosystem service provision, limiting economic returns from semi-arid rangelands. We apply a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to assess the value of ecosystem services, using monetary and non-monetary techniques in semi-arid rangelands in Kgalagadi District, southern Botswana. In doing so, we provide an empirical understanding of the linkages between policy, land use and the provision of ecosystem services based on the perspectives of local stakeholders identified through interviews and a workshop consultation. Findings suggest communal grazing provides the widest range of monetary and non-monetary values linked to ecosystem service delivery. Current economic incentives and policy initiatives supporting the livestock sector, linked to fencing and borehole drilling, create perverse incentives that over-emphasise commercial food production at the expense of other services. We identify a need for policy reforms to support livelihood diversification through the provision of a wider range of ecosystem services, and for further research to explore market opportunities for veld products and carbon trading. We show that MCDA offers a useful holistic assessment framework that could be applied more widely to semi-arid rangelands globally. © 2015 Elsevier B.V.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Unmapped bibliographic data: AD - United Nations University-Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), 175 Longwood Road South, Suite 204, Hamilton, ON, Canada [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, United Kingdom [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Department of Environmental Science, University of Botswana, Private Bag 002, Gaborone, Botswana [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Knowledge Exchange Research Centre of Excellence, Birmingham School of the Built Environment, Birmingham City University, City Centre Campus, Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, United Kingdom [Field not mapped to EPrints] DB - Scopus [Field not mapped to EPrints] M3 - Article [Field not mapped to EPrints]
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2015.12.005
Dates:
DateEvent
17 December 2015Accepted
30 December 2015Published Online
1 February 2016Published
Uncontrolled Keywords: Kalahari, Land degradation, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, Southern Africa, Sustainable land management
Subjects: CAH06 - agriculture, food and related studies > CAH06-01 - agriculture, food and related studies > CAH06-01-03 - agriculture
Divisions: Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment > School of Engineering and the Built Environment
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment > School of Engineering and the Built Environment > Dept. of Built Environment
Depositing User: Yasser Nawaz
Date Deposited: 18 Jul 2016 07:58
Last Modified: 22 Mar 2023 12:16
URI: https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/1375

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