Summary

The aim of the project is to support the administrations of fast-growing cities in India, Tanzania and Brazil in ensuring that their ecosystems are protected more effectively. Water, air and land are both in high demand in metropolitan regions and are also under particular pressure.

Role of UFZ

The UFZ advises on the demand and use-oriented analysis of ecosystem services. Precise studies can provide information and arguments that enable policy-makers to anticipate the socio-economic consequences of nature loss and take appropriate countermeasures.
Our research interest here is the appropriate handling of adverse circumstances:
How can analyses be designed and deliberative processes carried out in contexts where data, know-how, and political weight of environmental concerns are clearly limited?
What possibilities does the concept of ecosystem services offer in the tension between scientific credibility, political legitimacy and the practical relevance of analyses?