The project is seeking to identify and build the regional capacities
needed to initiate markets for ecosystem services. Market opportunities
could include groundwater management, water quality markets and
biodiversity, among others. Our approach will be to investigate
and develop pilot market opportunities in the three case study
catchments (Murrumbidgee - NSW, Goulburn Broken - Vic and Blackwood
Basin - WA).
In each case study area we will identify the key market requirements
- such as measurement of ecosystem services, the buyers and sellers
and how they can interact and what policy changes are needed to
facilitate markets. We will also be examining how markets for
ecosystem services can work with other strategies to achieve regional
natural resource management targets.
How will the project deliver?
'The Markets for Ecosystem Services Project' will directly address
the challenge at the regional level by:
- building partnerships with appropriate groups in case study
regions;
- integrating market based mechanisms with other programs in
case study regions to achieve targets;
- quantifying changes to particular ecosystem services to measure
what can be bought or sold in markets;
- testing pilot markets in practice, on the ground, in the case
study regions to show they work;
- recommending policy changes to strengthen laws underpinning
market creation and management.
A strong conceptual framework will underpin these steps. We will
use the framework to help identify and analyse key opportunities,
institutions and impediments to effective market-based mechanisms
in the case study areas.
|