SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: ECOLOGY
Green funds now
exist in the global
investment sector
for protecting
mangroves
because they
absorb a lot of
carbon. So, the
mangrove can
have a value
far greater than
cutting it down
to make way
for another
shrimp farm.
– Pierre Failler
PHOTO: NATTU ADNAN / UNSPLASH.
The Centre for Blue Governance
The Centre for Blue Governance is an
interdisciplinary initiative to bring together
researchers and students to collectively address
the global challenge of sustainable and fair use of
marine and inland systems.
Aquatic environments cover more than
70 per cent of our planet’s surface and the value of
the global oceans is estimated to be US$24 trillion.
The scale and importance of aquatic systems affect
biodiversity and ecosystem services, and are crucial
in addressing challenges in climate change and
biodiversity loss, as well as in safeguarding human
health and wellbeing.
However, large gaps still exist in conceptual
knowledge and practice of how to best govern
aquatic environments for the common good. By
involving students in ongoing research and innovative
experiential teaching methods, the Centre is helping
the next generation of researchers, thought leaders
and policymakers to develop new and urgently
needed holistic solutions for humans and the planet.
� www.port.ac.uk/centreforbluegovernance
Tides of change
For this reason, Professor Failler’s
research must be practical. He is
often invited by governments or
UN agencies to explore specific national
or regional challenges on the ground.
He leads and coordinates projects that
are collaborative and interdisciplinary,
assembling teams of economists,
geographers, ecologists and sociologists
from universities around the world.
When delivering an economic
evaluation, the research teams typically
collaborate with a key in-country institute
for undertaking fieldwork, data analysis
and reporting. The consequences can be
far-reaching. One recent project was set up
to assess the value of coastal and marine
ecosystems in Overseas France, including
Martinique, Guadeloupe, Mayotte and
Réunion.
The project involved evaluating
the monetary value of coral reefs and
mangroves from ‘direct use’ such as
tourism and fisheries, and ‘non-uses’
such as cultural and other non-monetary
values that people place on beaches and
ecosystems.
“But the biggest potential,” Professor
Failler says, “is from what we call the
indirect uses; services provided by
ecosystems, but for which there is no
apparent market.
“For instance, the reef protects the
coast, but nobody pays money for this
protection. If you remove the reef, the coast
will be washed away very quickly. There
would be a cost to replace it, so we take
that into account.
“The mangroves eliminate a lot of
pollution; they have a water treatment
function that has value. Also, if you remove
the mangroves you won’t have any more
shrimp.
“It’s these non-direct uses that actually
have the greatest value, but because there
is no overt market nobody recognises their
economic importance. We have to show how
the value of these services is no less than the
value of, say, the local agricultural sector.”
In the above example, Professor Failler’s
team’s findings led local politicians to make
policy changes, implementing strategies to
protect the coast and increase the islands’
appeal to tourists.
These are the ripples of change that
researchers like Professor Failler believe
will reach around the world as developed
countries find they can take their cues on
environmental economics from developing
nations.
He cites numerous strategies already
in action – from Kenya’s pioneering use of
mobile apps and drones to fight malaria,
to the Seychelles’ innovative deal to erase
national debt in return for investing in
environmental assets for coastal protection.
He has found that the biggest challenge
to making change happen is coordination
between active individuals, agencies and
government departments.
“It takes a lot of round tables and
meetings. You need to have a framework
and it has to come from the highest level of
government.”
Professor Failler helps nations to develop
these frameworks and to accept that
change also takes time: “In Mauritania,
we recommended ways to improve the
efficiency and sustainability of fisheries.
The government quite quickly implemented
many of our recommendations, but it will
take 10 years to see the results.”
The hope is that, when such results
include a fisher doubling his or her income
while working in new ways that protect and
preserve fish stocks for future generations,
the wait will be considered worthwhile.
ISSUE 1 / 2020
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