The LIFE Danube Free Sky project is a transnational project with the aim to save thousands of birds from electrocution and collisions with power lines. To achieve this, the project involves and collaborates with numerous stakeholders including, for instance, electric companies and nature conservation actors along the Danube. In order to understand the project’s overall socio-economic dimensions and impact on ecosystem services by 2025 (when the project ends) we at Ecosystem Valuation prepared a baseline study of the status quo. [Read more…] about Stork or birds of prey? Assessing the baseline indicators of the LIFE Danube Free Sky project
Assessing the impacts of conserving Lesser Spotted Eagle in Latvia
The “Conservation arrangements for Lesser Spotted Eagle in Latvia” (LIFE AQPOM) project has focused on the complex conservation of the bird’s alarmingly declining population. The project created new habitats for the eagle and for his preys and ensured safe pylons around the habitats of the bird. In our socio-economic impact and ecosystem services assessment we analysed how the project contributed to the well-being of impacted stakeholders (grassland and forest owners) and revealed how different ecosystem services (biomass and carbon sequestration of project sites) were changed due to project interventions.
In regard to the evaluation of these two essential forest related ecosystem services, we found that the protected nesting sites not only served the purpose of preserving the Lesser spotted eagle but also improved the condition of the biomass and the carbon sequestration ecosystem services and indirectly, other ecosystem services. [Read more…] about Assessing the impacts of conserving Lesser Spotted Eagle in Latvia
Measuring the impact of access to justice for a greener Europe project
EcosystemEvaluation carried out a socio-eonomic impact assessment of the A2J EARL project. The project aims to improve how EU environmental law is used and enforced, by raising people’s awareness of their right to go to court when environmental laws are broken.
The EU’s environmental policies are among the most comprehensive ones at the international level. In spite of this, their proper implementation is often lagging behind. Experience throughout the EU Member States suggests that public authorities alone cannot address this deficit in implementation. Accordingly, empowered citizens and trained actors representing the entire legal chain with extended knowledge about access to justice are vital to enable more effective implementation – something that the A2J EARL project focused on.
EcosystemEvaluation carried out the project’s socio-eonomic impact assessment. [Read more…] about Measuring the impact of access to justice for a greener Europe project
Ecosystem services assessment in oak forests
EcosystemEvaluation conducted a baseline ecosystem services assessment on the Hungarian sites of the LIFE4OAKForest project to reveal the current conditions of the ecosystem services found on the project areas. We carried out our assessment before the conservation management actions in order to investigate the current conditions and to be able to comparably map the overall project impact on ecosystem services after the project’s completion. We assessed biomass as a provisioning service, carbon sequestration, pest control and habitat maintenance as regulating and maintenance services. In case you are interested in the assessment results, contact us.
Assessing impacts on biodiversity of the Sziget Festival
At 2019’s Sziget Festival, we presented our work at the Green Sziget section on how the Sziget Festival impacts its environment of the Óbuda island. We analysed aspects of the island’s vegetation, soil and bird species (as indicator species of ecosystems) and collected cases on how other festivals world-wide consider their environment and mitigate their impacts. In case, you are interested in our resuls, contact us.
[Read more…] about Assessing impacts on biodiversity of the Sziget Festival