Ученые из Института Джеймса Хьютона создали практикум для оценки природного капитала с учетом социальных и культурных ценностей

Researchers at the James Hutton Institute have produced a practice guide designed to help land managers understand the different ways people value nature. The guide Using The Natural Capital Valuation Toolkit: A Practice Guide For Land Managers For Gathering Holistic, On-The-Ground Values was developed through a Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) project examining how participatory approaches can broaden natural capital valuation. Rather than focusing solely on the economic value of natural resources, the guide aims to capture the wider economic, social and cultural benefits nature provides within a landscape. The approach could help land managers work more effectively with local communities, regional land use partnerships and other groups when making decisions about land and natural-resource management. Dr Sam Poskitt, who shared leadership of the project with Katy Joyce, said the methods were designed to bring people into discussions about the different ways they value nature. “We hope it will assist land managers in making land management decisions that support multiple benefits for people and nature,” he said. Natural capital approaches are increasingly used to understand the benefits provided by the natural environment, including food production, water, recreation, biodiversity and cultural value. While economic valuation can form an important part of that process, the Hutton guide takes a broader approach. Its methods focus on bringing people together to discuss what matters to them and how those values could influence land management. The toolkit includes focus groups, future scenarios, participatory mapping, the Q method, visual methods, interviews and natural capital accounting. Focus groups allow participants to explore a broad range of values linked to natural capital, while future scenarios consider how changing conditions could alter those values. Participatory mapping identifies where values occur across a landscape, while the Q method uses responses to statements to identify different perspectives. Visual methods and interviews allow participants to photograph features of a landscape and explain their personal connections to them. Natural capital accounting can assess the economic contribution of natural resources, while dialogue workshops allow different interests to consider land management options collectively. The researchers believe bringing these approaches together can give land managers a fuller picture of the values associated with their land, particularly where decisions involve competing priorities or benefits that extend beyond the person managing it. The guide was produced by members of the Hutton’s Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences department. The researchers hope its practical focus will make the methods accessible to land managers seeking to bring a wider range of evidence and perspectives into decisions. The free guide is available through Zenodo.