Browsing by Subject "Indicators"

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Open Access
Conceptualizing and operationalizing human wellbeing for ecosystem assessment and management
(Environmental Science and Policy, 2016-12-01) Breslow, SJ; Sojka, B; Barnea, R; Basurto, X; Carothers, C; Charnley, S; Coulthard, S; Dolšak, N; Donatuto, J; García-Quijano, C; Hicks, CC; Levine, A; Mascia, MB; Norman, K; Poe, M; Satterfield, T; Martin, KS; Levin, PS
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd There is growing interest in assessing the effects of changing environmental conditions and management actions on human wellbeing. A challenge is to translate social science expertise regarding these relationships into terms usable by environmental scientists, policymakers, and managers. Here, we present a comprehensive, structured, and transparent conceptual framework of human wellbeing designed to guide the development of indicators and a complementary social science research agenda for ecosystem-based management. Our framework grew out of an effort to develop social indicators for an integrated ecosystem assessment (IEA) of the California Current large marine ecosystem. Drawing from scholarship in international development, anthropology, geography, and political science, we define human wellbeing as a state of being with others and the environment, which arises when human needs are met, when individuals and communities can act meaningfully to pursue their goals, and when individuals and communities enjoy a satisfactory quality of life. We propose four major social science-based constituents of wellbeing: connections, capabilities, conditions, and cross-cutting domains. The latter includes the domains of equity and justice, security, resilience, and sustainability, which may be assessed through cross-cutting analyses of other constituents. We outline a process for identifying policy-relevant attributes of wellbeing that can guide ecosystem assessments. To operationalize the framework, we provide a detailed table of attributes and a large database of available indicators, which may be used to develop measures suited to a variety of management needs and social goals. Finally, we discuss four guidelines for operationalizing human wellbeing measures in ecosystem assessments, including considerations for context, feasibility, indicators and research, and social difference. Developed for the U.S. west coast, the framework may be adapted for other regions, management needs, and scales with appropriate modifications.
Open Access
Evaluating Contributions of Small-Scale Fisheries on Food Security via Fisheries Indicators, Economic Inequalities, and Gender
(2023-04-28) Huff, Arianna; McFarland, Tyler; Martinez, Laura; Laspada, Christian
The contributions of small-scale fisheries (SSF) to food security are underappreciated globally. This issue is further exacerbated in the Galapagos Archipelago, where the majority of food sources are imported from mainland Ecuador. In collaboration with the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), our report underscores the contributions of SSF in the Galapagos through the lens of food security, economic inequalities, and gender. Using the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) four pillars of food security – availability, use, access, and stability – we identified catch, price of fish, access based on income, consumption patterns, and nutrition to be the most significant indicators of SSF contributions in the Galapagos. Furthermore, our report includes a toolkit that measures the contributions of SSF, geospatial figures, and policy recommendations to CDF. Our recommendations seek to promote the health of permanent residents through direct access to fresh seafood and to promote sustainable fisheries practices through legislation.