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Benjamin S. Thompson
School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Victoria, Australia

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Short Biography

Dr Benjamin S. Thompson is a Lecturer in Geography at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. His research investigates the governance and financing of biodiversity conservation, environmental management, and nature-based solutions to climate change, with a particular focus on Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), impact investing, and applications of blockchain and financial technology (fintech) to the environmental context. He holds a PhD from the National University of Singapore, an MSc from Imperial College London, and has previously worked for and collaborated with environmental NGOs and businesses across Southeast Asia.

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Journal article
Published: 26 July 2021 in Sustainability
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Few Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes are financed voluntarily by corporations. This is perhaps unsurprising, given that limited literature on the theory and practice of PES has a dedicated focus on businesses. This article unifies the PES and business literatures in order to address the awareness and management challenges that corporations face in engaging in PES. First, it shows how corporations fit into the economic theory that underpins PES, demonstrating that corporate-financed PES schemes can exhibit a diversity and hybridity of Coasean and Pigouvian characteristics. Second, it shows how PES fits into corporate sustainability theory, demonstrating how PES can help companies achieve synergies across the economic, environmental, and social tenets of the triple bottom line; for example, by helping gain social license to operate from adjacent communities, or by using PES to meet sustainability reporting requirements related to emissions and water management. Third, it shows the different PES options available to firms based on their industrial sector, operating practices, and business strategies. The options with higher potential are maintenance and enhancement of production inputs across the supply chain, and carbon offsetting and insetting to help meet climate change mitigation regulations and avoid fines. Fourth, it identifies lessons learned when transitioning from theory to practice by synthesising the latest empirical research on corporate-financed PES schemes—considering exactly what these ‘should’ or ‘could’ resemble, for example, in terms of their additionality, conditionality, permanence, co-benefits, budgeting, and bargaining. Examples are drawn from corporate-financed schemes in forests and watersheds across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. The article concludes that these schemes remain small in number and size, but have significant potential to increase—and this can be aided by future research on corporate motives, understandings, and actions on PES.

ACS Style

Benjamin Thompson. Corporate Payments for Ecosystem Services in Theory and Practice: Links to Economics, Business, and Sustainability. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8307 .

AMA Style

Benjamin Thompson. Corporate Payments for Ecosystem Services in Theory and Practice: Links to Economics, Business, and Sustainability. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (15):8307.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin Thompson. 2021. "Corporate Payments for Ecosystem Services in Theory and Practice: Links to Economics, Business, and Sustainability." Sustainability 13, no. 15: 8307.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2021 in Global Environmental Change
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Payments for ecosystem services (PES) are increasingly promoted as nature-based solutions to climate, environmental, and business challenges. While participation in PES schemes is mandated in countries such as China, Costa Rica, and Vietnam, it remains unclear how PES schemes emerge in countries devoid of national mandates. This article investigates how actors have attempted institutional change to enable PES, by reinterpreting or adapting national laws, policies, and plans. We present an analytical framework theorising how geographical variations in (1) institutional frameworks, and (2) actor capabilities, dictate which institutions actors attempt to change. We then apply this framework to multi-scalar actors and institutions in Thailand and the Philippines. Our empirics reveal the types of institutional work that actors perform such as advocacy, education, mimicry, and networking, and demonstrate how this creates legal and discursive support, and improves stakeholder awareness and acceptance of PES as an environmental management strategy. Eight formal institutions are shown to have undergone change to enable PES across these countries, including those related to indigenous people, energy production, protected areas, pollution control, carbon offsetting, and decentralised governance. We show institutional change to be a geographical and contextual process that requires actors to match the right types of institutional work, with the right mechanism of institutional change, and a suitable target institution if they are to be successful in effecting change. Yet, we also report failed attempts, and explain how informal cultural norms act as challenges to formal institutional change. Through our comparative analysis of multiple institutions, actors, and national settings, we identify trends and make recommendations with global relevance to PES scholars and practitioners, and that can aid other initiatives that seek to address climate change and promote environmental sustainability.

ACS Style

Benjamin S. Thompson; Jack L. Harris. Changing environment and development institutions to enable payments for ecosystem services: The role of institutional work. Global Environmental Change 2021, 67, 102227 .

AMA Style

Benjamin S. Thompson, Jack L. Harris. Changing environment and development institutions to enable payments for ecosystem services: The role of institutional work. Global Environmental Change. 2021; 67 ():102227.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin S. Thompson; Jack L. Harris. 2021. "Changing environment and development institutions to enable payments for ecosystem services: The role of institutional work." Global Environmental Change 67, no. : 102227.

Review article
Published: 03 October 2019 in Environmental Science & Policy
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The flagship species paradigm (FSP) involves the selection of a species to strategically front conservation efforts and marketing campaigns. Chosen species are often charismatic megafauna: large animals with high public appeal that – in many ecosystems – receive considerable research attention and policy coverage. However, one ecosystem in which this trend is starkly reversed is the mangrove forest, where FSP approaches are rare due to under-acknowledgment or data deficiencies regarding their larger fauna. Instead, mangrove conservation has strongly embraced the ecosystem services paradigm (ESP) since these forests provide many benefits to society such as fisheries provision, coastal protection, and climate change mitigation via blue carbon sequestration. In this article, literature searches reveal that charismatic megafauna – including tigers, sloths, lemurs, proboscis monkeys, manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, crocodiles and sawfish – are severely under-represented in mangrove research, relative to their benthic invertebrates such as crabs, shrimp, and bivalves, explaining why the FSP remains underutilized for mangroves. We further reveal that many candidate flagships species may occur – permanently or periodically – in mangrove habitats around the world, indicating the FSP could have widespread applicability for mangrove conservation. Leveraging upon these findings, we highlight how the FSP can complement, or be integrated with, the ESP in the context of awareness raising, conservation finance, and policy (e.g. Ramsar Convention). We advise that socio-ecological settings, governance systems, and drivers of mangrove deforestation should be considered when designing flagship campaigns to support the protection of these vital wetlands.

ACS Style

Benjamin Thompson; Stefanie M. Rog. Beyond ecosystem services: Using charismatic megafauna as flagship species for mangrove forest conservation. Environmental Science & Policy 2019, 102, 9 -17.

AMA Style

Benjamin Thompson, Stefanie M. Rog. Beyond ecosystem services: Using charismatic megafauna as flagship species for mangrove forest conservation. Environmental Science & Policy. 2019; 102 ():9-17.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin Thompson; Stefanie M. Rog. 2019. "Beyond ecosystem services: Using charismatic megafauna as flagship species for mangrove forest conservation." Environmental Science & Policy 102, no. : 9-17.

Perspective
Published: 29 April 2019 in People and Nature
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Urban ecosystems provide many benefits to people, including regulation of environmental conditions, recreational opportunities, and positive health impacts. However, many urban ecosystems are under pressure from increasing urbanisation, because the economic benefits they provide are rarely captured by the people who own and manage them. Such ecosystems are seldom economically competitive compared to more profitable residential, commercial, and industrial land uses. To develop more sustainable cities, we require new approaches for encouraging and enabling interventions that maintain, improve and create urban ecosystems. Payments for ecosystem services (PES) schemes are increasingly used to incentivise conservation and changes in environmental management in rural settings, but this approach has rarely been considered in cities. Here, we explain how payments for urban ecosystem services (PUES) could help protect, restore, and manage urban ecosystems. To implement PUES, we must understand the differences between various public and private actors who could potentially provide or benefit from urban ecosystem services. For example, utilities companies could pay for reduced water treatment costs via deculverting streams, homeowners could pay for improved stormwater management via increasing permeable surface area, and business proprietors could pay for street tree installation and maintenance to provide shade and reduce air conditioning costs. Urban densities, land values, and land tenure will impact the types of PUES projects that are most likely to be viable. To be successful, PUES will require an improved understanding of urban ecosystem service science—particularly how service provision changes under different land management practices. Nevertheless, because of the high densities, co‐location, and wide variety of stakeholders that live in cities, there is potential for PUES to become an innovative funding source to support future urban ecosystem management. A plain language summary is available for this article.

ACS Style

Daniel R. Richards; Benjamin Thompson. Urban ecosystems: A new frontier for payments for ecosystem services. People and Nature 2019, 1, 249 -261.

AMA Style

Daniel R. Richards, Benjamin Thompson. Urban ecosystems: A new frontier for payments for ecosystem services. People and Nature. 2019; 1 (2):249-261.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel R. Richards; Benjamin Thompson. 2019. "Urban ecosystems: A new frontier for payments for ecosystem services." People and Nature 1, no. 2: 249-261.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2019 in Marine Policy
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US-based philanthropies have long contributed to environmental conservation through non-repayable donations, but some are now beginning to embrace novel investment strategies that are profit-orientated. From the vantage points of political economy and geopolitics, this article investigates the potential ramifications of this shift in funding for large-scale marine protected areas (LMPAs), which have been widely promoted to enhance marine biodiversity and manage sustainable fisheries. Specific attention is given to the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) in Kiribati, where finance from US-based philanthropic foundations is intended to support the operation and management of the LMPA and eventually compensate the government for forgone revenues from fishing licences, via the creation of a trust fund. Content analysis of key documents is conducted to empirically trace the political, legal, and financial evolution of PIPA. The findings demonstrate how, in accepting finance from philanthropic foundations, the government of Kiribati gradually relinquishes its decision-making leverage over PIPA's territory and resources. Hence, it is contended that certain legal and financial provisions could act as under-acknowledged and purposive drivers of ‘ocean-control grabbing’. Results further reveal that achieving financial sustainability for the PIPA conservation trust fund has proven difficult, opening up discussions on the extent to which PIPA could be capitalised in other ways. More broadly, the paper engages with recent debates on for-profit conservation, ocean grabbing, and the blue economy.

ACS Style

Marc–Andrej Felix Mallin; Dennis C. Stolz; Benjamin S. Thompson; Mads Barbesgaard. In oceans we trust: Conservation, philanthropy, and the political economy of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. Marine Policy 2019, 107, 103421 .

AMA Style

Marc–Andrej Felix Mallin, Dennis C. Stolz, Benjamin S. Thompson, Mads Barbesgaard. In oceans we trust: Conservation, philanthropy, and the political economy of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. Marine Policy. 2019; 107 ():103421.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marc–Andrej Felix Mallin; Dennis C. Stolz; Benjamin S. Thompson; Mads Barbesgaard. 2019. "In oceans we trust: Conservation, philanthropy, and the political economy of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area." Marine Policy 107, no. : 103421.

Journal article
Published: 31 December 2018 in Journal of Environmental Management
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Choosing from a range of environmental management options can be more effective when considering stakeholder preferences. This is particularly true in the coastal tropics, where numerous actors and institutions intersect to shape environmental governance. Here, we investigate stakeholder preferences for an array of options regarding the sustainable development and conservation of mangrove forests. These include: payments for ecosystem services (PES), ecotourism, selling non-timber forest products, bio-charcoal production, and forest restoration financed via corporate social responsibility (CSR). Empirical studies from two socio-ecological settings in Thailand reveal the preferences of government agencies, corporations, municipal and village heads, and several community associations (fishers, senior citizens, housewives, environmentalists, salt-flat workers, oil palm plantation owners). Interviews and participatory multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) elicited preferences based on the likelihood of achieving favourable environmental, economic, and social outcomes. Findings reveal (1) PES was favoured – although motivations were not driven solely by the prospect of financial gain, but by the land tenure security, collaborations, and long-term ecological benefits that were perceived to occur as a result; (2) PES for local services (water quality) were preferred over global services (climate change mitigation); (3) criteria related to wellbeing, livelihoods, and environmental stewardship are influenced by broad cultural and political ideologies, rather than site-specific characteristics; and (4) clear tensions both between private and public actors, and between national and local actors. Our study highlights the importance of involving all informed stakeholders in the decision-making process in order to understand the complex reasons driving environmental management preferences, and to gain greater acceptance of biodiversity conservation and natural resource management actions. We also call for greater transparency in MCDA studies by presenting more of the qualitative data used to subjectively construct the quantitative criteria.

ACS Style

Benjamin S. Thompson; Daniel A. Friess. Stakeholder preferences for payments for ecosystem services (PES) versus other environmental management approaches for mangrove forests. Journal of Environmental Management 2018, 233, 636 -648.

AMA Style

Benjamin S. Thompson, Daniel A. Friess. Stakeholder preferences for payments for ecosystem services (PES) versus other environmental management approaches for mangrove forests. Journal of Environmental Management. 2018; 233 ():636-648.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin S. Thompson; Daniel A. Friess. 2018. "Stakeholder preferences for payments for ecosystem services (PES) versus other environmental management approaches for mangrove forests." Journal of Environmental Management 233, no. : 636-648.

Research article
Published: 11 December 2018 in Business Strategy and the Environment
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Payments for ecosystem services (PES) are environmental management tools that enable corporations to simultaneously enhance their environmental performance and fund sustainable development in rural areas. PES is primarily promoted as part of a sustainable production strategy for conserving natural resources, offsetting carbon emissions, and green supply chain management. Nevertheless, PES uptake by the private sector remains low, and few studies have analysed whether corporate‐financed PES schemes conform to this rationale. This study evaluates three of the first PES schemes in Thailand, financed by large corporations in the water utilities, aquaculture, and beverage sectors. Interviews with 39 business managers and project stakeholders suggest that PES may be viewed as a tool for philanthropy, public relations, and gaining license to operate—akin to many corporate social responsibility initiatives. Explanations and ramifications are discussed in the context of ecological uncertainty, risk management, financial performance, organisational learning, and the corporate‐engagement strategies of non‐governmental organisations.

ACS Style

Benjamin S. Thompson. Payments for ecosystem services and corporate social responsibility: Perspectives on sustainable production, stakeholder relations, and philanthropy in Thailand. Business Strategy and the Environment 2018, 28, 497 -511.

AMA Style

Benjamin S. Thompson. Payments for ecosystem services and corporate social responsibility: Perspectives on sustainable production, stakeholder relations, and philanthropy in Thailand. Business Strategy and the Environment. 2018; 28 (4):497-511.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin S. Thompson. 2018. "Payments for ecosystem services and corporate social responsibility: Perspectives on sustainable production, stakeholder relations, and philanthropy in Thailand." Business Strategy and the Environment 28, no. 4: 497-511.

Journal article
Published: 20 July 2018 in Land Use Policy
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Mangrove forest restoration is practiced across the (sub)tropics to suppress ongoing deforestation and degradation of coastal ecosystem services and biodiversity. This article critically assesses mangrove restoration policies and initiatives in Thailand, using a political ecology lens focussed on institutional arrangements and power dynamics. Analysis based on interviews with 44 respondents shows how formal and informal institutions created by weak actor relations can inhibit long-term success. Revealed are inconsistencies between national mangrove restoration policies and the financial capacity of the government agency tasked with policy implementation. This can create a reliance on private-sector funding via corporate social responsibility (CSR), which centres decision-making power with firms regarding how, where, and when mangrove rehabilitation is implemented. Loosely-defined national targets lead stakeholders to report ‘false successes’ based on the spatial area planted, rather than on the long-term survival rate of afforested or reforested mangroves. This creates a ‘cycle of failure’ with little institutional learning (i.e., feedbacks on the ecological reasons for failure), and duplicated rehabilitation efforts. The strong institution of corporate philanthropy in Thailand makes subsequent CSR money readily available, while coinciding restoration events with public holidays associated with the Thai Royal Family motivates local participants to try again. Contemporary narratives from two progressive mangrove rehabilitation projects – with long-term collaboration, cooperation, and monitoring – help identify recommendations for overcoming these long-standing institutional challenges. The article demonstrates how weak and unequal actor relations – resulting from capacity limitations, power asymmetries, and cultural ideologies – creates gaps between policy design and implementation, thus leading to ineffective environmental governance.

ACS Style

Benjamin S. Thompson. The political ecology of mangrove forest restoration in Thailand: Institutional arrangements and power dynamics. Land Use Policy 2018, 78, 503 -514.

AMA Style

Benjamin S. Thompson. The political ecology of mangrove forest restoration in Thailand: Institutional arrangements and power dynamics. Land Use Policy. 2018; 78 ():503-514.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin S. Thompson. 2018. "The political ecology of mangrove forest restoration in Thailand: Institutional arrangements and power dynamics." Land Use Policy 78, no. : 503-514.

Original article
Published: 05 May 2018 in Sustainability Science
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Environmental sustainability relies on the adequate financing of biodiversity conservation—increasingly from the private sector. Meanwhile, corporate sustainability relies on the effective management of natural capital and ecosystem services used in production. Payments for ecosystem services (PES) offers an important practical mechanism for addressing these issues. However, the uptake of corporate-financed PES has been underwhelming, implying that companies may face institutional and motivational challenges to participate in PES. This article presents an assessment framework to determine the conduciveness of PES to real-world corporate environmental strategies and actions, be they (a) voluntary or compliance-based, (b) reactive or proactive, (c) requiring low or high amounts of data, (d) seeking a direct or indirect return on investment (ROI), (e) conducted proximal to or far from the operation site, (f) short-term or long-term, and (g) utilising internal or external resources. Interview data elicited from public, private, and civil sector actors in Thailand and the Philippines highlights key barriers to corporate-financed PES. Results imply companies may be: (1) hesitant to get involved with unknown or uncertain concepts such as ecosystem services; (2) reluctant to fund the technical studies and repeat payments that PES requires; (3) disinterested in direct ROI—instead content with philanthropic projects that can boost public relations; and (4) bound by protocols that restrict the spatial and temporal scales at which PES can operate. To overcome these challenges, policy makers could devise reputational and economic incentives, and incorporate ecosystem services into existing institutions such as environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and ISO 14001. Meanwhile, PES practitioners (government agencies and NGOs) should use quick and simple metrics to quantify ecosystem services, and tolerate buyer willingness-to-pay. Increasing corporate ecosystem service demand, and participation in PES, will likely require firm-level institutional change, and business strategies to improve supply chain management and mitigate the negative effects of environmental and climate change.

ACS Style

Benjamin S. Thompson. Institutional challenges for corporate participation in payments for ecosystem services (PES): insights from Southeast Asia. Sustainability Science 2018, 13, 919 -935.

AMA Style

Benjamin S. Thompson. Institutional challenges for corporate participation in payments for ecosystem services (PES): insights from Southeast Asia. Sustainability Science. 2018; 13 (4):919-935.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin S. Thompson. 2018. "Institutional challenges for corporate participation in payments for ecosystem services (PES): insights from Southeast Asia." Sustainability Science 13, no. 4: 919-935.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2017 in Ecological Economics
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ACS Style

Benjamin Thompson. Can Financial Technology Innovate Benefit Distribution in Payments for Ecosystem Services and REDD+? Ecological Economics 2017, 139, 150 -157.

AMA Style

Benjamin Thompson. Can Financial Technology Innovate Benefit Distribution in Payments for Ecosystem Services and REDD+? Ecological Economics. 2017; 139 ():150-157.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin Thompson. 2017. "Can Financial Technology Innovate Benefit Distribution in Payments for Ecosystem Services and REDD+?" Ecological Economics 139, no. : 150-157.

Original articles
Published: 21 June 2017 in Journal of Sustainable Tourism
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Ecotourism is a normative concept defined and driven by generalized principles concerning local livelihoods and conservation of natural and cultural environments. Supply-side studies considering the applicability of these principles in practice are limited. In particular, an understanding of how entrepreneurialism shapes ecotourism is largely absent from the literature. We investigate the intersection of entrepreneurialism, ecotourism, and governance using a case study of actors at the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park (KKGP) in Langkawi, Malaysia, which has seen a rapid rise in entrepreneurial “ecotourism” activities. However, levels of competition between actors, their perceptions of ecotourism, and the challenges and tensions they face are unknown. To address this, a “hierarchy of entrepreneurship” is presented, grouping actors into three tiers: governing institutions, tour companies, and independent entrepreneurs, from whom qualitative data are elicited. Opinions and contestations between and among tiers are elucidated around themes including how understandings of ecotourism influence entrepreneurial strategies, and how challenges and tensions may inhibit the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of ecotourism at KKGP. The study demonstrates that the normative dogma guiding how ecotourism should be practised must be balanced against the diverse understandings, motivations, and capacities of ecotourism entrepreneurs on the ground and the effectiveness of governance systems.

ACS Style

Benjamin S. Thompson; Jamie Gillen; Daniel A. Friess. Challenging the principles of ecotourism: insights from entrepreneurs on environmental and economic sustainability in Langkawi, Malaysia. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 2017, 26, 257 -276.

AMA Style

Benjamin S. Thompson, Jamie Gillen, Daniel A. Friess. Challenging the principles of ecotourism: insights from entrepreneurs on environmental and economic sustainability in Langkawi, Malaysia. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 2017; 26 (2):257-276.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin S. Thompson; Jamie Gillen; Daniel A. Friess. 2017. "Challenging the principles of ecotourism: insights from entrepreneurs on environmental and economic sustainability in Langkawi, Malaysia." Journal of Sustainable Tourism 26, no. 2: 257-276.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2017 in Ecosystem Services
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ACS Style

Benjamin S. Thompson; Jurgenne H. Primavera; Daniel A. Friess. Governance and implementation challenges for mangrove forest Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES): Empirical evidence from the Philippines. Ecosystem Services 2017, 23, 146 -155.

AMA Style

Benjamin S. Thompson, Jurgenne H. Primavera, Daniel A. Friess. Governance and implementation challenges for mangrove forest Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES): Empirical evidence from the Philippines. Ecosystem Services. 2017; 23 ():146-155.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin S. Thompson; Jurgenne H. Primavera; Daniel A. Friess. 2017. "Governance and implementation challenges for mangrove forest Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES): Empirical evidence from the Philippines." Ecosystem Services 23, no. : 146-155.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2016 in Fisheries Research
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ACS Style

Benjamin S. Thompson; Annabelle Bladon; Zubair H. Fahad; Samiul Mohsanin; Heather J. Koldewey. Evaluation of the ecological effectiveness and social appropriateness of fishing regulations in the Bangladesh Sundarbans using a new multi-disciplinary assessment framework. Fisheries Research 2016, 183, 410 -423.

AMA Style

Benjamin S. Thompson, Annabelle Bladon, Zubair H. Fahad, Samiul Mohsanin, Heather J. Koldewey. Evaluation of the ecological effectiveness and social appropriateness of fishing regulations in the Bangladesh Sundarbans using a new multi-disciplinary assessment framework. Fisheries Research. 2016; 183 ():410-423.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin S. Thompson; Annabelle Bladon; Zubair H. Fahad; Samiul Mohsanin; Heather J. Koldewey. 2016. "Evaluation of the ecological effectiveness and social appropriateness of fishing regulations in the Bangladesh Sundarbans using a new multi-disciplinary assessment framework." Fisheries Research 183, no. : 410-423.

Book chapter
Published: 20 August 2016 in Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences
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Mangrove forests provide a multitude of ecosystem services, many of which contribute to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) along tropical coastlines. In the face of rapid deforestation, Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) has been heralded as a potential avenue for financing conservation, although PES schemes remain in an embryonic state for mangroves. Several challenges must be overcome if mangrove PES is to advance. Firstly, challenges exist in quantifying multiple ecosystem services, especially those that contribute to DRR, such as wave attenuation and the control of coastal erosion. Secondly, the permanence of quantified ecosystem services is a central tenet of PES, but is not guaranteed in the dynamic coastal zone. Mangroves are affected by multiple stressors related to natural hazards and climate change, which are often outside of the control of a PES site manager. This will necessitate Financial Risk Management strategies, which are not commonly used in coastal PES, and introduces a number of management challenges. Finally, and most importantly, PES generally requires the clear identification and pairing of separate service providers and service users, who can potentially overlap in the context of DRR. This chapter reviews and discusses these emerging issues, and proposes potential solutions to contribute to the more effective implementation of mangrove PES. Ultimately however, difficulties in pairing separate and discreet service providers and users may render PES for DRR unfeasible in some settings, and we may need to continue traditional modes of DRR finance such as insurance and donor support.

ACS Style

Daniel A. Friess; Benjamin Thompson. Mangrove Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES): A Viable Funding Mechanism for Disaster Risk Reduction? Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences 2016, 75 -98.

AMA Style

Daniel A. Friess, Benjamin Thompson. Mangrove Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES): A Viable Funding Mechanism for Disaster Risk Reduction? Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences. 2016; ():75-98.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel A. Friess; Benjamin Thompson. 2016. "Mangrove Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES): A Viable Funding Mechanism for Disaster Risk Reduction?" Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences , no. : 75-98.

Journal article
Published: 20 August 2016 in Conservation Biology
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Many drivers of mangrove forest loss operate over large scales and are most effectively addressed by policy interventions. However, conflicting or unclear policy objectives exist at multiple tiers of government, resulting in contradictory management decisions. To address this, we considered four approaches that are being used increasingly or could be deployed in Southeast Asia to ensure sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. First, a stronger incorporation of mangroves into marine protected areas (that currently focus largely on reefs and fisheries) could resolve some policy conflicts and ensure that mangroves do not fall through a policy gap. Second, examples of community and government comanagement exist, but achieving comanagement at scale will be important in reconciling stakeholders and addressing conflicting policy objectives. Third, private-sector initiatives could protect mangroves through existing and novel mechanisms in degraded areas and areas under future threat. Finally, payments for ecosystem services (PES) hold great promise for mangrove conservation, with carbon PES schemes (known as blue carbon) attracting attention. Although barriers remain to the implementation of PES, the potential to implement them at multiple scales exists. Closing the gap between mangrove conservation policies and action is crucial to the improved protection and management of this imperiled coastal ecosystem and to the livelihoods that depend on them.

ACS Style

Daniel A. Friess; Benjamin Thompson; Ben Brown; A. Aldrie Amir; Clint Cameron; Heather J. Koldewey; Sigit D. Sasmito; Frida Sidik. Policy challenges and approaches for the conservation of mangrove forests in Southeast Asia. Conservation Biology 2016, 30, 933 -949.

AMA Style

Daniel A. Friess, Benjamin Thompson, Ben Brown, A. Aldrie Amir, Clint Cameron, Heather J. Koldewey, Sigit D. Sasmito, Frida Sidik. Policy challenges and approaches for the conservation of mangrove forests in Southeast Asia. Conservation Biology. 2016; 30 (5):933-949.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel A. Friess; Benjamin Thompson; Ben Brown; A. Aldrie Amir; Clint Cameron; Heather J. Koldewey; Sigit D. Sasmito; Frida Sidik. 2016. "Policy challenges and approaches for the conservation of mangrove forests in Southeast Asia." Conservation Biology 30, no. 5: 933-949.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2014 in Ecosystem Services
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ACS Style

Benjamin S. Thompson; Colin P. Clubbe; Jurgenne H. Primavera; David Curnick; Heather J. Koldewey. Locally assessing the economic viability of blue carbon: A case study from Panay Island, the Philippines. Ecosystem Services 2014, 8, 128 -140.

AMA Style

Benjamin S. Thompson, Colin P. Clubbe, Jurgenne H. Primavera, David Curnick, Heather J. Koldewey. Locally assessing the economic viability of blue carbon: A case study from Panay Island, the Philippines. Ecosystem Services. 2014; 8 ():128-140.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Benjamin S. Thompson; Colin P. Clubbe; Jurgenne H. Primavera; David Curnick; Heather J. Koldewey. 2014. "Locally assessing the economic viability of blue carbon: A case study from Panay Island, the Philippines." Ecosystem Services 8, no. : 128-140.

Journal article
Published: 24 May 2014 in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
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Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

ACS Style

Anwar Hossain; Benjamin Thompson; Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury; Samiul Mohsanin; Zubair H. Fahad; Heather J. Koldewey; Anwarul Islam. Sawfish exploitation and status in Bangladesh. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 2014, 25, 781 -799.

AMA Style

Anwar Hossain, Benjamin Thompson, Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury, Samiul Mohsanin, Zubair H. Fahad, Heather J. Koldewey, Anwarul Islam. Sawfish exploitation and status in Bangladesh. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 2014; 25 (6):781-799.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anwar Hossain; Benjamin Thompson; Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury; Samiul Mohsanin; Zubair H. Fahad; Heather J. Koldewey; Anwarul Islam. 2014. "Sawfish exploitation and status in Bangladesh." Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 25, no. 6: 781-799.