PT-10 :: Resource Efficient Economy with a Sustainable Supply of Raw Materials

Sub-topics: Multifunctional forest; Mediterranean landscape; non-wood forest products
Mediterranean ecosystems provide a wide array benefits and economic values, such as non-wood forest products and biodiversity welfares, being a source of energy, water, food, tourism and many other goods and services. For example non-wood forest products (such as cork, aromatic plants, mushrooms, etc.) can be fundamental for rural development with high potential for local economies. The benefits from this goods and services are spread a wide variety of stakeholders in both private and public sphere. However, for the protection of this natural capital, economic and environmental systems and human well-being can no longer be kept apart in the SSW management process. So, to ensure the resource efficient economy with a sustainable supply of raw materials, future research should provide useful knowledge for policy makers and forest land managers, about valuation and marketing of environmental goods and services, adaptation to climate change, biodiversity conservation, combating desertification, and wildfire prevention. Understanding the distribution of costs and benefits is also important when considering how to mobilize funds for conservation.
Specific research questions (following the conceptual model of INSPIRATION):
Demand:
• Recognize the main drivers regarding SSW management and consequences of inefficient resource use.
Why: To raise the awareness about the importance of protecting natural capital and ecosystem services.
Natural capital:
• Identify valuable goods and services of Mediterranean ecosystems and the potential markets.
Why: To understand the economy potential for sustainable rural development and competiveness.
Land management
• Creating, modelling and visualizing scenarios for the emergence of resource-efficient economies, through linking quantitative economic and ecological models. It will be essential to study also strategies for adapting climate change.
• Identify and evaluate the existing policies and economic instruments;
Why: It is fundamental to provide indicators for future decisions.
Net-impacts
• Interpretation of the results, so they are in context and understood by decision and policy makers.
Why: fundamental to support future decision-making and policy formulation on SSW systems, ensuring the efficient and sustainable supply of ecosystem goods and services.