1. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
Enhancing ecosystem services mapping for policy and decision making
- Updates on recent activities -
Benjamin Burkhard
Kiel University
EU Horizon 2020 Coordination and support action
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

2. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA background and targets
ESMERALDA is a Support & Coordination Action from DG RTD to support EU member states in their tasks related to Biodiversity Strategy Target 2 Action 5
Builds on/co-operates with e.g. MAES, OpenNESS, OPERAs, MESEU, TRAIN, …
ESMERALDA targets:
Ecosystem Services (ES) mapping and assessment strategies for EU member states
Deliver a ‘flexible methodology’ for pan-European, national and regional ES mapping and assessment
Test this methodology in case studies across European regions and themes
Mobilise all relevant actors from science, policy, practice and society involved in ES
Enable actors in all EU member states to fulfil their tasks of EU BD Strategy’s Target 2 Action 5 / Mapping and Assessing Ecosystem and their Services
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

3. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA results from 1st phase
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;
Milestone 09: EU Member State Fact sheets
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

4. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA results from 1st phase
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;
Milestone 09: EU Member State Fact sheets
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

5. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA results from 1st phase
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;  
Milestone 09: EU Member State Fact sheets
Public documents, available at BISE:
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

6. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA results from 1st phase
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;
Milestone 09: EU Member State Fact sheets
Public documents, available at BISE:
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

7. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA results from 1st phase
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;
Deliverable 2.1 (Nov 2015): Clustering of EU Member States according to their prerequisites and needs to perform ES mapping and assessment.
Public report, available at:
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

8. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA results from 1st phase
Status November 2015
 Updates are in progress!
Scores of each EU member state referring to their status in the MAES process
(ESMERALDA 2015)
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

9. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA results from 1st phase
Score sheet example
(y = yes, n = no, - = unknown)
(ESMERALDA 2015)
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

10. ESMERALDA Stakeholder Workshop
ESMERALDA results from 1st phase
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;
ESMERALDA Stakeholder Workshop
on ecosystem service mapping and assessment in EU member states at national level - Identified gaps and possible solutions-
13-16 October 2015, Riga, Latvia
Milestone 13 (Dec 2015): Supporting stakeholder
groups in each member state established
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

11. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA network
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;
Deliverable 2.2: Overview of gaps and recommendations to overcome them
Selected outcomes gaps:
Lacking engagement of national authorities in the MAES process
Unsatisfying stakeholder involvement in the MAES process
Gaps in capacity and resources to carry out MAES in the country
Selected recommendations:
Justification (e.g. by good case examples)
Communication (e.g. translation of complex scientific findings for target groups)
Capacity building (e.g. education of transdisciplinary experts)
Technical support (e.g. data use; guidance for mapping & assessment methods)
Join forces – meet and map – network!
 ESMERALDA is there to help you!
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

12. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA network
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;
Milestone 31: Meetings with Stakeholders (e.g. DG ENV, EEA) to discuss inter-operability of ESMERALDA outputs into OpenNESS/OPERAs Common Platform and BISE
1st Meeting September 2015, 2nd Meeting January 2016
Selected outcomes:
ESMERALDA fact sheets on BISE
Fact sheets content to be used to update information on MAES-related activities in MS
EU MS MAES representatives can take care for updates (2x per year, with WG meetings)
BISE as central information repository for MAES activities
Improvement of BISE structure and information flow needed
Strategy document about roles of OPPLA and BISE to be developed
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

13. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA network
Current consortium:
25 project partners
20 European countries
2 linked Baltic countries
2 linked western Balkan countries
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

14. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA network
Current consortium:
25 project partners
20 European countries
2 linked Baltic countries
2 linked western Balkan countries
Consortium enlargement plans:
+ 9 further EU countries
(= entire EU28)
+ Norway, Israel
EU enlargement countries:
Workshop at JRC Ispra 01/2016
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Israel, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

15. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA working phases
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;
2nd phase: Development of the multi-tiered ES mapping and assessment methodology;
Milestone 19: Workshop on customization of CICES across member states
Meeting at EEA Copenhagen February 2016
Selected outcomes:
Excellent discussions on strengths and weaknesses of CICES V4.3
Solutions for improving CICES 4.3 with regard to many of the technical issues identified
ESMERALDA informs discussions on applying CICES in the field and to identify issues that should be covered in any future guidance developed
ESMERALDA to test draft guidance and to use the finalised guidance as part of their integrated mapping and assessment methods
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

16. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA working phases
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;
2nd phase: Development of the multi-tiered ES mapping and assessment methodology;
Project Workshop in Nottingham April 2016
“Flexible methods for ES mapping and assessing (1. version)”
Review of ES mapping and assessment methods (biophysical, social, economic – Tiers 1-3)
1st version of methods presented to project partners, stakeholders, Advisory Board
Feedback is used to revise and improve methods
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

17. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA working phases
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;
2nd phase: Development of the multi-tiered ES mapping and assessment methodology;
3rd phase: Testing the developed methodology in representative thematic and biome-oriented Workshops and Case studies across EU member states;
Case studies representative for:
The variety of natural and socio-economic conditions in EU Member States
The variety of cross-EU themes relevant for ES
The geographical regions and biomes of the entire EU
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

18. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA working phases
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;
2nd phase: Development of the multi-tiered ES mapping and assessment methodology;
3rd phase: Testing the developed methodology in representative thematic and biome-oriented Workshops and Case studies across EU member states;
4th phase: Feedbacks from ESMERALDA stakeholders and other relevant user groups, methodology improvement;
5th phase: Producing tailored and flexible solutions for ES mapping and assessment for policy and decision making;
6th phase: Safeguarding the implementation of project results in the context of the BD Strategy and Horizon 2020, including strategies for long-term implementation beyond ESMERALDA
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

19. MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels 08.03.2016
ESMERALDA working phases
1st phase: Identification of relevant stakeholders and stocktaking, collecting and linking existing approaches for ES mapping and assessment, creating links to existing related projects and databases;
2nd phase: Development of the multi-tiered ES mapping and assessment methodology;
3rd phase: Testing the developed methodology in representative thematic and biome-oriented Workshops and Case studies across EU member states;
4th phase: Feedbacks from ESMERALDA stakeholders and other relevant user groups, methodology improvement;
5th phase: Producing tailored and flexible solutions for ES mapping and assessment for policy and decision making;
Check the project
website for more
information
and material!
6th phase: Safeguarding the implementation of project results in the context of the BD Strategy and Horizon 2020, including strategies for long-term implementation beyond ESMERALDA
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels

20. Thank you for your attention!
Contact:
This project receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No
MAES Working Group Meeting Brussels