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Insight to Ecosystem Based Approach (EBA) at Landscape Level Using a Geospatial Medium

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Abstract

Ecosystem based approach (EBA) for resource management is a concerted, environmentally tuned and an integrated framework that holistically addresses the ecological character of the natural resource, its societal benefit spectrum and its environmental functions. In this paper, the EBA concept is closely linked with the emerging concept of multiple use systems (MUS) while taking account of environmental, economic, and social factors that govern the ecosystems services and benefits. We elucidate a multi-scalar approach and multiple case studies to understand EBA particularly in context of a wetlandscape. At the global scale, Ramsar sites of international importance are geospatially analyzed with reference to their agro-ecology and biodiversity. At regional scale, the agrarian use of inland wetlands in India was re-evaluated taking account of database from a recent inland wetland inventory. At the local scale, drawing on the landscape characterization and the ecological economics for fresh water Lake Kolleru in India and the Muthurajawela Marsh-Negombo Lagoon coastal marsh in Sri Lanka, we illustrate some of the practical challenges in balancing wetland conservation, development needs and the overall well-being of local people. We also discuss how variability in the scale, geophysical characteristics of the site and the data availability confines the ability to simplify a single complete approach to address issues in complex ecosystem such as wetlands. All levels of the study are supported by a variety of earth observation data and the geographical information system (GIS) tools. The site level analysis also draws on socio-economic assessment tools.

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Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Dr Prasad Thenakbail for the information on GIAM data. The data support from Dr Obi Reddy at the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning India is duly acknowledged. The support of the local partners and the social communities in both wetland regions is rightly accredited. The usual disclaimer applies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Said Business School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Nidhi Nagabhatla

  2. International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Southeast Asia Regional Office, Vientiane, Lao PDR

    Sonali S. Sellamuttu

  3. Environment Canada, National Water Research Institute, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, 867 Lakeshore Rd., PO Box 5050, Burlington, ON,, L7R 4A6, Canada

    A. Ghosh Bobba

  4. ILWS, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia

    Max Finlayson

  5. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, 2522, NSW, Australia

    Rohan Wickramasuriya

  6. Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF), Colombo, Sri Lanka

    Martin Van Brakel

  7. Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Hyderabad, India

    S. Narendra Prasad & Chiranjibi Pattanaik

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  1. Nidhi Nagabhatla
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  2. Sonali S. Sellamuttu
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Correspondence to Nidhi Nagabhatla.

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Annex 1

Ecosystems Benefit analysis based on Constanza et al, 1997 for MMNL and KWS (DOC 61 kb)

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Nagabhatla, N., Sellamuttu, S.S., Bobba, A.G. et al. Insight to Ecosystem Based Approach (EBA) at Landscape Level Using a Geospatial Medium. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 40, 47–64 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-011-0080-8

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