A paradigm shift in the way we assess nature

Abstract

Nature’s Contributions to People refers to all the contributions,both positive and negative, that nature makes to people’s quality oflife 1. Building on the ecosystem service concept popularised by theMillennium Ecosystem Assessment 95, the Nature’s Contributionsto People concept includes a wide range of descriptions of humandependence on nature, such as ecosystem goods and servicesand nature’s gifts. It recognises the central role that culture playsin defining all links between people and nature. It also elevates,emphasises and operationalises the role of indigenous andlocal knowledge 1, 100.Until recently, the conceptualisation of, and practical work on,ecosystem services have focused on assessing and valuing thoseservice flows with biophysical and economic approaches comingfrom natural sciences and economics respectively. This approachhas largely failed to engage a range of perspectives from socialsciences, humanities 96, or those of local actors including Indigenouspeoples and local communities 1.The Nature’s Contributions to People approach explicitly recognisesthat a range of views of nature exist. At one extreme, humans andnature are viewed as distinct; at the other, humans and nonhuman entities are interwoven in deep relationships of kinship andreciprocal obligations 97, 98. It uses two lenses to assess how peoplerelate to nature: generalising and context-specific perspectives.