The social distribution of provisioning forest ecosystem services: Evidence and insights from Odisha, India

Ecosystem services research has highlighted the importance of ecosystems for human well-being. Most of the research, however, focuses only on aggregate human well-being and disregards distributional and equity issues associated with ecosystem services. We review approaches from institutional economi...

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Autores principales: Lakerveld, R.P., Lele, S., Crane, Todd A., Fortuin, K.P.J., Springate-Baginski, O.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2015
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/121936
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author Lakerveld, R.P.
Lele, S.
Crane, Todd A.
Fortuin, K.P.J.
Springate-Baginski, O.
author_browse Crane, Todd A.
Fortuin, K.P.J.
Lakerveld, R.P.
Lele, S.
Springate-Baginski, O.
author_facet Lakerveld, R.P.
Lele, S.
Crane, Todd A.
Fortuin, K.P.J.
Springate-Baginski, O.
author_sort Lakerveld, R.P.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Ecosystem services research has highlighted the importance of ecosystems for human well-being. Most of the research, however, focuses only on aggregate human well-being and disregards distributional and equity issues associated with ecosystem services. We review approaches from institutional economics, political ecology and the social sciences in order to develop an analytical framework to understand the distribution of benefits from ecosystems across different socio-cultural groups and the underlying social processes involved. We then present a case study of the distribution of provisioning ecosystem services in a forest-fringe village in Odisha, India. Our analysis shows the unequal distribution of ecosystem services and complex social processes that determine these. We identify the determining factors and processes to include: differential resource-specific needs, different cultural identities, differentiated social status and bargaining power, exclusionary and inclusionary social practices, differential access. Our analysis proves therefore that aggregation of forest ecosystem benefits obscures crucially important patterns of distribution, and the underlying social processes that determine these. This also demonstrates the necessity of applying social science frameworks in such analyses. Our study also shows that most ecosystem services are co-produced through both ecosystem processes and social actions, and so their assessment cannot be separated from the social context in which they are embedded. In conclusion we recommend that ecosystem services research engages more with process-oriented, context-specific and integrated approaches, based on a recognition of the complexity of social-ecological realities.
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spelling CGSpace1219362024-10-03T07:40:51Z The social distribution of provisioning forest ecosystem services: Evidence and insights from Odisha, India Lakerveld, R.P. Lele, S. Crane, Todd A. Fortuin, K.P.J. Springate-Baginski, O. forestry environment natural resources management ecology Ecosystem services research has highlighted the importance of ecosystems for human well-being. Most of the research, however, focuses only on aggregate human well-being and disregards distributional and equity issues associated with ecosystem services. We review approaches from institutional economics, political ecology and the social sciences in order to develop an analytical framework to understand the distribution of benefits from ecosystems across different socio-cultural groups and the underlying social processes involved. We then present a case study of the distribution of provisioning ecosystem services in a forest-fringe village in Odisha, India. Our analysis shows the unequal distribution of ecosystem services and complex social processes that determine these. We identify the determining factors and processes to include: differential resource-specific needs, different cultural identities, differentiated social status and bargaining power, exclusionary and inclusionary social practices, differential access. Our analysis proves therefore that aggregation of forest ecosystem benefits obscures crucially important patterns of distribution, and the underlying social processes that determine these. This also demonstrates the necessity of applying social science frameworks in such analyses. Our study also shows that most ecosystem services are co-produced through both ecosystem processes and social actions, and so their assessment cannot be separated from the social context in which they are embedded. In conclusion we recommend that ecosystem services research engages more with process-oriented, context-specific and integrated approaches, based on a recognition of the complexity of social-ecological realities. 2015-08 2022-09-24T11:06:08Z 2022-09-24T11:06:08Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/121936 en Open Access Elsevier Lakerveld, R.P., Lele, S., Crane, T.A., Fortuin, K.P.J., Springate-Baginski, O. 2015. The social distribution of provisioning forest ecosystem services: Evidence and insights from Odisha, India. Ecosystem Services 14:56-66.
spellingShingle forestry
environment
natural resources management
ecology
Lakerveld, R.P.
Lele, S.
Crane, Todd A.
Fortuin, K.P.J.
Springate-Baginski, O.
The social distribution of provisioning forest ecosystem services: Evidence and insights from Odisha, India
title The social distribution of provisioning forest ecosystem services: Evidence and insights from Odisha, India
title_full The social distribution of provisioning forest ecosystem services: Evidence and insights from Odisha, India
title_fullStr The social distribution of provisioning forest ecosystem services: Evidence and insights from Odisha, India
title_full_unstemmed The social distribution of provisioning forest ecosystem services: Evidence and insights from Odisha, India
title_short The social distribution of provisioning forest ecosystem services: Evidence and insights from Odisha, India
title_sort social distribution of provisioning forest ecosystem services evidence and insights from odisha india
topic forestry
environment
natural resources management
ecology
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/121936
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