Environmental impact of cultural ecosystem services on urban ecosystem

Abstract

Ecosystem has always been an important component of culture all over the world. The concept of ecosystem services i.e. services obtained from ecosystem in form of goods and benefits has recently became a broader topic of discussion among environmentalists, planners, policy makers, and other government and nongovernment organisations. India is a land of diverse cultural values and beliefs where natural system plays a major role. Indic texts such as ‘Rigveda’ describe ‘panch-tatva’ (earth, air, water, fire, and sky) as principal components of life and preach multiple ways to protect them. At the end of Vedic era, Indian subcontinent witnessed a rise of large urbanised states where fast growing pastoral societies started damaging natural features for individual benefits. As the time passed, the cultural practices that were once used as a purifier to ecosystems became their major polluter and are continuing till date. Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are the non-material benefits obtained from ecosystem in the form of spiritual values, recreation, tourism, etc. as an interaction of environment, economy and society. If observed from economic perspective, services produced in an economy always have certain intended or unintended impact on environment at some stage throughout the supply chain. Being a part of economic system, CES are not exceptional. This study thus put forward a review of CES, particularly those associated with urban ecosystem, with an aim to assess environmental impacts related to their use and develop strategies to reduce these impacts. The study has been carried out in four steps: (1) identifying biophysical components of urban ecosystem and associated cultural services; (2) analysing condition and change in biophysical components of urban ecosystem for their quality and spatial extent; (3) assessing direct and indirect environmental impacts related to the use of cultural services on urban ecosystem; and (4) developing strategies for reducing environmental impacts of cultural ecosystem services on urban ecosystem.iv The selection of CES is based on the comparative study of ecosystem services assessment toolkits used in Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA), The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) and Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES). The framework to study environmental spaces and their relation to cultural practices is based on Fish and Church’s framework for conceptualizing cultural ecosystem services. Kronenberg’s model of CES assessment is adopted to develop methodology for assessment of direct and indirect impacts of CES. Techniques such as Palmer’s Index of organic pollution and S-Typhi counts are used to identify direct impacts cultural practices on urban waterbodies through multiple studies based on algal diversity and mass bathing. Also cases related to recent development projects to maximise cultural services were studied to identify indirect environmental impacts of activities related with the use of CES. To explore environmental impacts of CES on urban ecosystem, the study explores Ujjain city as case area, which is very relevant due to its strong association with cultural and ecological landscape. The study in turn justifies need for a broader consideration of environmental impacts caused by the use of CES and propose place and policy based strategies to reduce these impacts. Recommendations proposed out of the study mainly considered approaches of spatial planning, community participation and policy implications for effective incorporation of CES framework into urban planning, and management without hampering cultural values and benefits.