Title: Methods, tools, and applications for Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) supporting decision making in EU Outermost Regions (ORs) and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs)
This Special Collection deals with the European Union’s Outermost Regions (ORs) and European Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), which face specific developmental obstacles as well as serious environmental issues with relevant socio-economic impacts, such as climate change, environmental degradation, land-use change, coastal erosion and loss of biodiversity. Articles to appear in this One Ecosystem Special Issue aim at fostering robust, novel, and cost-effective MAES-related approaches, strategies and applications in the EU’s ORs and OCTs.
Abstract:
Remote territories as the European Union’s Outermost Regions (ORs) and European Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) face specific developmental obstacles as well as serious environmental issues with relevant socio-economic impacts, such as climate change, environmental degradation, land-use change, coastal erosion and loss of biodiversity. All these circumstances make decision support in these territories especially challenging in scientific, technical, and political terms.
These issues require attention from public policies based on the most reliable scientific information, the most effective participatory approaches, and the most advanced methods and tools, aiming at implementing cost-effective MAES (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services) procedures into the decision-support frameworks. Articles to appear in this One Ecosystem Special Collection aim at fostering robust, novel, and cost-effective MAES-related approaches, strategies, and applications in European remote territories as the EU Outermost Regions (ORs) and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs). Submissions to this Special Collection are not restricted to any specific geographical range and shall contribute to designing and implementing better, specific and cost-effective MAES-based decision support approaches for marine, coastal, and terrestrial spatial monitoring, planning and management.
Submitted manuscripts should describe and assess MAES-based approaches including (but not restricted to):
- Strategies and applications for mapping, assessing and monitoring terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems condition, functions, and services in European remote territories;
- Strategies and applications to support and strengthen local/regional spatial planning and management policies in European remote territories;
- Strategies and applications for supporting the ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management), MSP (Marine Spatial Planning), EBM (Ecosystem-Based Management), and Climate Change adaptation procedures in European remote territories;
- Strategies and applications to foster local/regional citizen science and public participation initiatives in European remote territories;
- Development of methods, tools, and frameworks for supporting the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals in European remote territories.
Submission deadline: 31 March 2021.
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