Satoyama-Satoumi Ecosystems and Human Well-Being - UNU-IAS ...

32 | Summary for Decision Makers
Biodiversity – As in the previous scenario,
some kinds of biodiversity could be
diminished as a result of global trade and
importation policies, by technological exploitation
of ecosystems as high-tech farming
methods are fostered, and through the abandonment
of rural areas. Of the four scenarios,
biodiversity is probably most diminished in
this one.
Human well-being – Increased food
and material production leads to increased
security and human-well being. However,
counteracting this are decreased ecosystem
services leading to cultural loss and perhaps
job losses due to mechanisation. Coupled
with competition from in-migration of
labourers and increasing urbanisation, the
overall result is a loss of a sense of security (in
terms of job, neighbours, cultural traditions
and social relations). On the whole, human
well-being decreases in this scenario.
Techno Introvert
Ecosystem services – In this scenario,
protectionist trade policies designed to foster
self-reliance contribute to increased human
use of ecosystem provisioning services.
However, because this expansion is achieved
through an increase in indoor production
facilities for agriculture and aquaculture, traditional
satoyama and satoumi will continue
to experience a decrease in use, thus resulting
as well in declines in regulating services. In
the energy sector, the use of nuclear power
and high-efficient thermal power generation
replace biomass and other renewable energies.
As with Global Technotopia, increased
urbanisation leads to degraded ecosystem
and cultural services within traditional satoyama
and satoumi landscapes.
Biodiversity – Similar results obtain as
for Global Technotopia in terms of degraded
biodiversity, for the same reasons enumerated
above. However, unlike Global Techno-
topia, protectionist policies enacted under
this scenario inhibit the importation of nonnative
species and thus serve to protect if not
increase native biodiversity.
Human well-being – Human wellbeing
increases in some cases under this
scenario as self-sufficiency leads to an increased
sense of security. However, for some,
job losses will result as traditional industries
are replaced by new mechanised ones. As
more people flock to cities, those who are left
in rural areas will experience a decrease in
well-being, reflecting a degraded social and
cultural environment, and increased income
disparity between those in cities and those in
rural areas.
Satoyama Satoumi Renaissance
Ecosystem services – Protectionist
trade policies encourage increased per-capita
consumption of domestic food and materials.
However, since this is achieved using
traditional satoyama and satoumi, the level
of provisioning services will improve or
remain constant. In the energy sector the
use of biomass and other renewable energies
will increase. Overall this will contribute to
enhanced regulating services. Finally, the
counter urbanisation movement will result in
increased human use of traditional satoyama
and satoumi landscapes, and thus in an enhancement
of their cultural and provisioning
services.
Biodiversity – Biodiversity stands the
greatest opportunity to be maintained or
increased of the four scenarios. Because of
the emphases upon sustainability through
use and effective management of satoyama
and satoumi, traditional landscapes are more
likely to experience an increase in human use
and in their capacity to provide renewable
provisioning and regulating services.