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WP4: ECONOMIC EVALUATION AND GOVERNANCE

WP leader

D. Pettenella, P8

Participants

P5, P6, P8, P9, P10, P12, P13, P14

The WP4 will rely on the case studies results at the landscape scale. The case studies will provide information on the best practices to increase the resilience of Mediterranean forests: management actions, products and services provided under different governance scenarios and options. The WP will evaluate such best practices estimating the costs of inaction both in financial and economic terms associated with different scenarios. Adaptation in policy objectives and tools will be derived from the economic and governance analysis with special reference to the reforms to be introduced in Forest Policy, in Rural Development Policy, in Biodiversity Protection Policy and in Renewable Energy Policy. Identification and feasibility analysis of the policy and governance response will be the outcome of a structured process of local stakeholders' consultation for each case study.

T4.1. Support in data collection and analysis in the landscape case studies

Task leaders

J. Krc, P10, with the help of A. Japelj, P9

Objectives

To define detailed guidelines for economic and governance data collection in line with the TEEB Ecological and Economic Foundations.

Methodology

We will refer to the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES). For each of the selected ecosystem services a set of “service attributes” will be developed and associated to a set of indicators. Ecological indicators will be assessed by the use of software and existing literature reviews for the selected case studies. A workshop with the coordinators of integrated case studies will be organised to define data collection protocol in these areas related to socio-economic investigation. Guidelines for economic data collection will be compiled, then implemented in the four integrated case studies.

Deliverables

D4.1, D4.2

Milestones

M4.1, M4.2, M4.3, M4.4

T4.2. "Costs of inaction" evaluation

Task leader

A. Stenger, P6

Objectives

To compare different proposed management actions again no action or no intervention, in terms of costs and missed benefits. It will imply to: (i) identify many feasible paths, (ii) measure private costs for forest owners but social ones as well for society and (missed) private and social benefits, (iii) integrate ‘no-action’ induced risks vs ‘action’ reduced risks, (iv) value biodiversity and other ecosystem services.

Methodology

We will evaluate the costs and the missed benefits of no intervention against the proposed management actions and actors interplay as they will come out of the previous task. A financial analysis approach, based on the estimation of market prices costs and revenues associated to different scenarios, and an economic analysis approach based also on the evaluation of externalities will be used. For the simulation exercise and the economic evaluation in the integrated case studies, we will work with INVEST, ARIES or similar software for Environmental Services economic evaluation. One draft paper to be published in a peer review journal, suited to be included among the TEEB regional studies, will present the results obtained from the case studies to the Mediterranean.

Deliverables

D4.3, D4.4

Milestones

M4.5, M4.6, M4.7

T4.3. Governance tools to increase forest resilience

Task leader

D. Pettenella, P8

Objectives

To define the best governance tools, once the management options to increase forest resilience and their economic dimension will be defined.

Methodology

Regulatory instruments, traditional incentive schemes, market-based tools (such as the Payments for Environmental Services) and information services will be considered. The implementation of such instruments in the case study areas with reference to various landowners and forest managers will be  critically analyzed and compared with the lessons learned  from other Mediterranean areas. The preliminary results from the implementation of the Forest Measures of the Rural Development Program in the case study areas will be evaluated. The outcome of this comparison will be discussed with case study stakeholders and with the Stakeholders Panel in order to define policy and governance guidelines to increase Mediterranean forest resilience.

Deliverables

D4.5

Milestones

M4.8, M4.9