2013•08•25 Indonesia
Session hosts: Fabrice Renaud, United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security, GermanyBlanka Loucková, CzechGlobe, Department of Human Dimensions of Global Change, Czech Republic
Session co-host:Blanka Loucková, CzechGlobe, Department of Human Dimensions of Global Change, Czech RepublicZita Sebesvári, United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security, Germany
Date: Wednesday, 28 August 2013, 13:30–16:45
Venue: 6th Annual International ESP Conference 201326-30 August 2013, Bali, Indonesia
Short description of the session Anthropogenic activities modify natural systems and lead to environmental pressures at a global level. Land use change, growing population and increasing energy consumption together with climate change are recognized among main drivers of a global change. These processes significantly increase risk of systems exposed to environmental hazards and at the same time influence the provision of ecosystem services. Ecosystems play important roles in terms of hazard mitigation and vulnerability reduction but they are rarely considered by planning authorities dealing with disaster risk reduction – generally, engineered structures are preferred and promoted. Although understanding of the provision of ecosystem services is far from being complete and uncertainties remain, existing information is already available for applications. With respect to increasing risks related to global change, the concept of ecosystem services has a capacity to contribute to safety of both, social and natural systems and vulnerability reduction.
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