Urban governance of biodiversity and ecosystem services
Summary
In an increasingly urban world the battle for biodiversity hinges on how effectively cities are governed, and how responsive those who run cities are to transforming the urban system to embrace ecosystem integrity and restoration.
This chapter sets out the nascent field of urban biodiversity governance, and is the first scientific publication to provide a synthesis review of the urban biodiversity and ecosystem services governance literature. It notes the recent expansion of an interdisciplinary global urban biodiversity and ecosystem services governance agenda, and that a significant body of academic material already has emerged. The chapter focuses on the challenges and opportunities of governing urban biodiversity and ecosystem services at the local, national, regional and global scales.
It reveals that although overarching patterns of lack of political will, institutional capacity and knowledge are challenges to making an impact on ecological integrity, there are numerous sites of innovation, and solutions that have been put in practice. While the chapter finds patterns of challenges and opportunities experienced across cities covered in the literature, it is cautious about generalizations, as studies from Africa, South America and parts of Asia are largely lacking.
Finally, the chapter considers what is required to improve governance of urban biodiversity and ecosystem services, and sets out a more inclusive research agenda to inform future global assessments of urban biodiversity and ecosystem services, with respect to local to global governance.
