Ecosystems and Human Well-being
A Framework for Assessment
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Ecosystems and Human Well-Being is the first product of
the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a four-year
international work program designed to meet the needs of
decision-makers for scientific information on the links
between ecosystem change and human well-being. The book
offers an overview of the project, describing the conceptual
framework that is being used, defining its scope, and
providing a baseline of understanding that all participants
need to move forward.
The Millennium Assessment focuses on how humans have
altered ecosystems, and how changes in ecosystem services
have affected human well-being, how ecosystem changes may
affect people in future decades, and what types of responses
can be adopted at local, national, or global scales to
improve ecosystem management and thereby contribute to human
well-being and poverty alleviation. The program was launched
by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in June 2001,
and the primary assessment reports will be released by
Island Press in 2005.
Leading scientists from more than 100 nations are
conducting the assessment, which can aid countries, regions,
or companies by:
- providing a clear, scientific picture of the current
state of Earth's ecosystems at multiple scales
- deepening our understanding of the relationship and
linkages between ecosystems and human well-being,
including economic, social and cultural aspirations
- demonstrating the potential of ecosystems to
contribute to poverty reduction and enhanced well-being
- offering scenarios of our future human and
ecological well-being
- identifying and evaluating policy and management
options for sustaining ecosystem services and
harmonizing them with human needs
The Millennium Assessment is an invaluable new resource
for professionals and policy-makers concerned with
international development, environmental science,
environmental policy, and related fields. It will help both
in choosing among existing options and in identifying new
approaches for achieving integrated management of land,
water, and living resources while strengthening regional,
national, and local capacities. It will also improve policy
and decision-making at all levels through improved
collaboration between natural and social scientists, and
between scientists and policy-makers. Ecosystems and Human
Well-Being is an essential introduction to the project.
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