Research

The Valuing Nature Programme aims to better understand and represent the complexities of the natural environment in valuation analyses and decision making and to consider the wider economic, societal and cultural value of ecosystem services, even where these have no perceived market value.  

Specifically, the Programme funds research towards two research goals:

1. Tipping Points

Improve our understanding of:

  • the links between ecosystem stocks, ecosystem service flows and benefits that are delivered as a result in the context of defining critical levels of ecosystem stocks that avoid abrupt and damaging change in the delivery of benefits (tipping points).
  • how the values of ecosystem services and benefits change as tipping points are reached and exceeded.

Information on the Tipping Points projects is here, and the research funding call is available here.

2. Human Health & Wellbeing

Improve our understanding of the role biodiversity and ecosystem processes play in human health and wellbeing, in the areas of: 

  • natural hazards and extreme weather events
  • the exposure of people to pathogens and aquatic toxins
  • health improvements associated with urban ecosystems.

Information on the Health & Wellbeing projects is here, and the funding call is here.