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Going Beyond the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: An Index System of Human Well-Being

Author

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  • Wu Yang
  • Thomas Dietz
  • Daniel Boyd Kramer
  • Xiaodong Chen
  • Jianguo Liu

Abstract

Understanding the linkages between ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being (HWB) is crucial to sustain the flow of ES for HWB. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) provided a state-of-the-art synthesis of such knowledge. However, due to the complexity of the linkages between ES and HWB, there are still many knowledge gaps, and in particular a lack of quantitative indicators and integrated models based on the MA framework. To fill some of these research needs, we developed a quantitative index system to measure HWB, and assessed the impacts of an external driver – the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake – on HWB. Our results suggest that our proposed index system of HWB is well-designed, valid and could be useful for better understanding the linkages between ES and HWB. The earthquake significantly affected households' well-being in our demonstration sites. Such impacts differed across space and across the five dimensions of the sub-index (i.e., the basic material for good life, security, health, good social relations, and freedom of choice and action). Since the conceptual framework is based on the generalizable MA framework, our methods should also be applicable to other study areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Wu Yang & Thomas Dietz & Daniel Boyd Kramer & Xiaodong Chen & Jianguo Liu, 2013. "Going Beyond the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: An Index System of Human Well-Being," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(5), pages 1-7, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0064582
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064582
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    7. Bieling, Claudia & Plieninger, Tobias & Pirker, Heidemarie & Vogl, Christian R., 2014. "Linkages between landscapes and human well-being: An empirical exploration with short interviews," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 19-30.
    8. Fulford, Richard & Yoskowitz, David & Russell, Marc & Dantin, Darrin & Rogers, John, 2016. "Habitat and recreational fishing opportunity in Tampa Bay: Linking ecological and ecosystem services to human beneficiaries," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 17(C), pages 64-74.
    9. Cong Li & Bowei Kang & Lei Wang & Shuzhuo Li & Marcus Feldman & Jie Li, 2019. "Does China’s Anti-Poverty Relocation and Settlement Program Benefit Ecosystem Services: Evidence from a Household Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, January.
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    13. Hong Chang & Xinchao Liu & Yu Xie & Yahong Liu & Wu Yang & Jianming Niu, 2022. "The Grassland Ecological Compensation Policy Drives the Differentiation of Herders’ Livelihoods in Inner Mongolian Desert Grassland," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, August.
    14. Liu, Yujie & Zou, Xintong & Chen, Jie & Pan, Tao, 2022. "Impacts of protected areas establishment on pastoralists’ livelihoods in the Three-River-Source Region on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    15. Jiao, Xi & Walelign, Solomon Zena & Nielsen, Martin Reinhardt & Smith-Hall, Carsten, 2019. "Protected areas, household environmental incomes and well-being in the Greater Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 1-1.
    16. Sheng, Jichuan & Wang, Hui, 2022. "Participation, income growth and poverty alleviation in payments for ecosystem services: The case of China's Wolong Nature Reserve," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    17. Eric Duku & Precious Agbeko Dzorgbe Mattah & Donatus Bapentire Angnuureng & Joshua Adotey, 2022. "Understanding the Complexities of Human Well-Being in the Context of Ecosystem Services within Coastal Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-20, August.
    18. Maia de Souza, Danielle & Lopes, Gabriela Russo & Hansson, Julia & Hansen, Karin, 2018. "Ecosystem services in life cycle assessment: A synthesis of knowledge and recommendations for biofuels," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 30(PB), pages 200-210.
    19. Jing Zhang & Xueming Li & Tongliga Bao & Zhenghai Li & Chong Liu & Yuan Xu, 2021. "Linking Demographic Factors, Land Use, Ecosystem Services, and Human Well-Being: Insights from an Sandy Landscape, Uxin in Inner Mongolia, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, April.
    20. Shackleton, Charlie M. & de Vos, Alta, 2022. "How many people globally actually use non-timber forest products?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    21. Kibria, Abu S.M.G. & Costanza, Robert & Gasparatos, Alexandros & Soto, José, 2022. "A composite human wellbeing index for ecosystem-dependent communities: A case study in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    22. Jiatong Li & Haiping Tang & Foyuan Kuang, 2023. "Exploring Livelihood Strategies of Farmers and Herders and Their Human Well-Being in Qilian Mountain National Park, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-16, May.

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