Mapping and assessing ecosystem services for sustainable policy and decision-making in Eritrea

authored by: Blal Adem Esmail, Jingxia Wang, Christian Albert, Chiara Cortinovis, Davide Geneletti
Abstract: The mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services (MAES) is key to inform sustainable policy and decision-making at national and sub-national levels. Responding to the paucity of research in sub-Saharan Africa, we conduct a pilot study for Eritrea that aims to map and assess the temporal dynamics of key ecosystems and their services. We reviewed policy and legal documents, analyzed land cover changes and estimated the potential for ecosystem services supply through an expert-based matrix approach. Our results showed that from 2015 to 2019, the potential supply of the ecosystem services analyzed (e.g., crop provisioning, water supply and recreation) increased, with the exception of wood supply. Overall, our study presents policy-relevant insights as to where to conserve, develop, or restore ecosystem services supply in Eritrea. Our approach is transferable to similar data scarce contexts and can thereby support policies toward more sustainable land development for people and nature.
External Organisation(s): Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Type: Article
Journal: AMBIO
Volume: 52
Pages: 1022–1039
No. of pages: 18
ISSN: 0044-7447
Publication date: 06.2023
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Geography, Planning and Development, Ecology, Environmental Chemistry
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 15 - Life on Land
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01841-4 (Access: Open)