Case title
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in Biscay, Basque Country
We described scenarios for Biscay through 2050 in an integrated and participatory way by downscaling the MA global scenarios and explored the relevance of scenarios to policy making
We analyzed how ES and human well-being might change in a range of plausible futures and identified management strategies through a backcasting process. We aimed 1) to describe scenarios at local scale as a process and tool for landscape planning; 2) to provide more insights on how large-scale scenario developments can be translated to the local level. Afterwards, to establish the plausibility and coherency of the recently constructed Biscay participatory scenarios, and to analyze policy options for improving sustainability of land use and the supply of ecosystem services, a spatially explicit analysis of land cover change was carried out.
"Probably the most important thing that stakeholders learned during the scenario-planning process was to see different perspectives and begin to understand different points of view ... The desired future outcome focused on the common well-being, and therefore, common interests gained relevance. This broader view allowed participants to work on achieving shared solutions and to propose feasible, coherent, and commonly desired response options. Thus, this scenario-planning process, based on consensus building, enabled decision making that would be supported by society. This reinforcement was much appreciated by the policy makers involved in the EEMBiscay assessment, who make use of the results of the process to influence regional administration decision making. Therefore, this planning process is relevant for ecosystem management policies in the Basque Country."
The scenarios were made in:
2010
The scenarios look out to:
2050
Project facts
Spain
Biscay Province, Basque Country
2010
Submitted by:
Igone Palacios-Agundez
Project member
July 2, 2021
How to cite this page:
Igone Palacios-Agundez
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in Biscay, Basque Country
7/2/2021
Resources
Palacios-Agundez, I., Casado-Arzuaga, I. Madariaga, I., Onaindia, M. 2013. The Relevance of Local Participatory Scenario Planning for Ecosystem Management Policies in the Basque Country, Northern Spain. Ecology and Society 18 (3): 7. ISSN: 1708- 3087.
Palacios-Agundez, I., Onaindia, M., Potschin, M., Tratalos, J.A., Madariaga, I., Haines-Young, R., 2015. Relevance for decision making of spatially explicit, participatory scenarios for ecosystem services in an area of a high current demand. Environmental Science & Policy 54: 199-209. ISSN: 1462-9011
Onaindia, M., Madariaga, I., Palacios, I., Arana, X. (2015). Nature and Human Well-Being in Biscay. Ecosystem Services Assessment; research applied to management. University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Leioa, Spain 130 pp. ISBN: 978-84-9082-207-4
Project images
UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Development and Environmental Education of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU
