Cultural Heritage and Ecosystem Services in Finland a case study from Helsinki-Uusimaa region

Transcription

1 Cultural Heritage and Ecosystem Services in Finland a case study from Helsinki-Uusimaa region Session 2: Landscape Services and Local Communities Sirkka-Liisa Seppälä Chericscape, Cultural Heritage in Landscape, Conference III: Landscape as Community, 19 20th May, 2015, Oslo

2 Ecosystem services in Finland approaches and applications - Biodiversity, conservation - Forests: national forest program, economical instruments for valuation of the forest - Natural resources: green mining, strategy of mire protection - Land use, management and planning, mapping ecosystem services and green infrastructure - Recreation, (eco)tourism Ecosystem services are important for human wellbeing. The community garden of Lapinlahti former mental hospital ( ), Helsinki. Photo Sirkka-Liisa Seppälä 2015.

3 TEEB for Finland National Assessment of the Economics of Ecosystem Services in Finland -> A roadmap for decision-makers: ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, NATURAL CAPITAL AND GREEN ECONOMY 1 Introduction: The TEEB for Finland study 2 TEEB for Finland: approach, methods, concepts and definitions THE STATE AND SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES 3 An overview of the state and future trends of ecosystem services in Finland 4 Mapping the value of ecosystem services 5 Social significance and economic value of ecosystem services in Finland ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AS PART OF A GREEN ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABLE DECISION-MAKING 6 Ecosystem services in society and policy 7 The role and possibilities of ecosystem services in promoting green economy TOWARDS A SUSTAIN ABLE AND GENUINELY GREEN ECONOMY, BASED ON NATURAL CAPITAL Finnish ecosystem service indicators, look: Towards A Sustainable and Genuinely Green Economy The Value and Social Significance of Ecosystem Services in Finland Synthesis and Roadmap (eds. Jäppinen & Heliölä 2015)

4 The six most important cultural services in Finland and their associated indicators according to TEEB for Finland (Vihervaara et al. in Jäppinen & Heliölä 2015) Recreation Nature-based tourism Nature-related heritage Landscape Arts and popular culture Science and education Structure Function Benefit Value Preferred natural areas, natural events, recreation, health (incl. avoided medical accessibility phenology experience costs, economic values (invested time etc.), social values Preferred natural areas, accessibility Cultural heritage in natural landscapes valuable/preferred land scapes - emblematic species and landscapes Areas of particular interest natural events, phenology natural events, phenology natural events, phenology natural events, phenology natural events, phenology employment, recreation, experience Cultural continuity Aesthetic experience Aesthetic experience, recreation source of knowledge tourism revenue, employment social values, intrinsic value social value (identity, aesthetics), economic value (marketing value), intrinsic value social value (identity, aesthetics), economic value (marketing value), intrinsic value social value (knowledge, sustainability), intrinsic value, economic value (innovation), health

5 Some notions and conclusions of TEEB Most of the cultural ecosystem services are abstract. So we may find it difficult to find indicators for benefits such as knowledge, cultural continuity or aesthetic experience. The values of cultural services, such as recreation, landscapes, the Finnish national heritage, and identity, have been variously identified A case study: Cultural services were also considered highly important. Of the cultural services, the three most important ecosystem services were landscape, recreation and the strengthening of humans place attachment. Ecosystems ability to promote local culture was also considered significant. If not sustainably managed, tourism and recreation can directly lead to the degradation of ecosystems: high visitor numbers can increase erosion, cause disturbance to species, and lead to littering and overconsumption of water resources. These ecosystem impacts have further negative effects on the quality and future availability of cultural services, diminishing the natural beauty and people s enjoyment of areas. Increased visitor numbers can also affect the spiritual and cultural values people especially locals associate with a place. (Bolded by this author for this presentation)

6 Cultural heritage and ecosystem services in Finland - In Finnish studies heritage or cultural are included and identified as a group in Cultural ecosystems services, but are usually modified by definition (as in TEEB Finland as arts and popular culture) or by combining with other groups (aesthetics and heritage) - Heritage is usually seen in relation to natural landscapes (nature-related heritage) and landscape are considered important as aesthetic experience Winter fishing is a popular hobby in Finland. In Lake Inari people still use the traditional way of net fishing (sami juoŋas) where the net is kept under/below the ice cover. The best time for this kind of fishing is mid winter skábma. Here were we on the ice at New Years Eve at twelve o clock. Photo Sirkka-Liisa Seppälä 2014.

7 A case study from Helsinki-Uusimaa region, Finland - The regional case study (the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE and Uusimaa Regional Council) on the green infrastructure and ecosystem services in the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region (1,6 million inhabitants) - The aim of the study was to provide information to the process of regional land use planning in close interaction with the experts and stakeholders - Published in Jäppinen & Heliölä (eds) 2015: Mapping green infrastructure and ecosystem services in the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region. Pekka Itkonen, Leena Kopperoinen, Arto Viinikka, Eduardo Olazábal and Vuokko Heikinheimo. - Uusimaa Region Council 2012 Region of Uusimaa Areas of Cultural Heritage of Uusimaa region 2012

8 GreenFrame an integrated approach GreenFrame is a methodology developed in the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) for analysing the green infrastructure and ecosystems services. The aim of GreenFrame is: - to study the variation in the ecosystem services potential supply within a study region, making use of a wide variety of spatial data and expert knowledge - to infer information from related thematic data based on assessments from experts and local and regional actors - to valuate areas based on their potential to support the supply of various ecosystem services - to study the immaterial ecosystem services like cultural ecosystem services Public Participatory GIS (PPGIS) mapping method is included in order to: - to examine the perceptions of cultural ecosystem services of the inhabitants in the region in a systematic way -> demand of ecosystem services - to expand public participation and community consultation

9 Cultural ecosystem services of Uusimaa (according to the case study) The analysis of the potential supply of 23 ecosystem services was based on 22 data themes evaluated and scored by the experts including valuable landscapes and cultural heritage environments and traditional agricultural biotopes on national and regional level Classification of ecosystem services was adapted (with some modifications) from The Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES ver 4.3) The classes of cultural ecosystem services were divided into five groups* and of which three (bold) were selected for the further analysis: 1 Recreational use of nature 2 Nature as a site and subject matter for research and of education 3 Aesthetics and cultural heritage 4 Spiritual, sacred, symbolic or emblematic meanings of nature 5 Existence and bequest values of nature *The theme Intellectual and representative interactions of CICES-classification is here divided to two groups (2 and 3) **The classes aesthetics and heritage are described as separate in the Intellectual and representative interactions in CICES

10 THE MEANINGS OF NATURE FOR THE PEOPLE OF UUSIMAA In survey the respondents were asked to pinpoint targets on a map linked to the main themes of cultural services: Good places or routes for recreation Good places to learn from nature Very scenic places Good vantage points Places where history and cultural heritage combine in a way that adds to the value of the place Regionally symbolic places Places with a unique identity that people attach meanings to and where they can feel attached to their environment (sense of place) Relaxing/revivifying places Places where people can experience holiness Places with intrinsic value, to be preserved for future generations.

11 THE MEANINGS OF NATURE FOR THE PEOPLE OF UUSIMAA Public Participatory GIS Survey on Cultural ecosystem services of Uusimaa region. Over 40 % of answers were connected to aesthetics and cultural heritage. Map Finnish Environment Institute: Mapping green infrastructure and ecosystem services in the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region. Pekka Itkonen, Leena Kopperoinen, Arto Viinikka, Eduardo Olazábal and Vuokko Heikinheimo. In Jukka-Pekka Jäppinen and Janne Heliölä (eds.) Towards A Sustainable and Genuinely Green Economy. The value and social significance of ecosystem services in Finland (TEEB for Finland). The Finnish Environment 1 en/2015.

12 Hot spot clusters in answers PPGIS of Uusimaa Public Participatory GIS Survey on Cultural ecosystem services of Uusimaa. Map Finnish Environment Institute: Mapping green infrastructure and ecosystem services in the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region. Pekka Itkonen, Leena Kopperoinen, Arto Viinikka, Eduardo Olazábal and Vuokko Heikinheimo. In Jukka-Pekka Jäppinen and Janne Heliölä (eds.) Towards A Sustainable and Genuinely Green Economy. The value and social significance of ecosystem services in Finland (TEEB for Finland). The Finnish Environment 1 en/2015.

13 Cultural Heritage as Ecosystem Services - Ecosystem Services can give a holistic approach to see and understand humannature relationship - Cultural Heritage should be defined and identified more clearly as ecosystem services using international classifications but always contextually, signifianced and valued locally by locals and experts together - Heritage approaches and studies provides a possibility to describe, explain, understand and valuate our relation to nature, cultural continuity and long term change - knowledge gives a deeper experience! - We need: concepts and deeper analyses, data of better quality, good indicators, case studies and participatory methods to reveal social significance of cultural heritage as ecosystem services Biocultural heritage and ecosystem services have a strong connection. During the Iron Age there was a tight agricultural settlement by the lake Läppträsk in the western part of Uusimaa. The long presence and influence of human beings can be clearly seen in the landscape today. The area belongs the most valuable biocultural (Ramsar) and cultural heritage sites in Finland. Image: National Board of Antiquites/ Sirkka-Liisa Seppälä 2005.