Box 4: National Strategy for Making the Case for Biodiversity
7 Conceptual Frameworks to Support Making the Case A number of existing frameworks have proven useful for making the case for biodiversity. These frameworks are all based on the categorisation of ecosystem goods and services captured in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. This assessment divides ecosystem goods and services into four categories, namely: 1. Supporting including nutrient cycling, soil formation, primary production and other supporting functions performed by ecosystems; 2. Regulating including climate regulation, flood regulation, disease regulation, water purification and other regulating functions performed by ecosystems; 3. Provisioning including the provisioning of food, fuel, water, fibre and other ecosystem goods used by people and livestock; and, 4. Cultural including aesthetic, spiritual, educational, recreational and other cultural functions performed by ecosystems. This categorization of ecosystem goods and services was then linked to various aspects of human well-‐being, including security basic material for a good life; health; good social relations and freedom of choice and action. This framework forms the basis for our understanding of the role of biodiversity in society and forms the backbone of all arguments. This framework outlines the importance of acknowledging both the tangible (provisioning) and intangible (supporting, regulating and cultural) values of ecosystems.
Limpopo Protected Area Expansion Strategy: Making the Case
8
