Elucidating the pathways between climate change, ecosystem services and poverty alleviation

• Published in: Current opinion in environmental sustainability 2013-03, Vol.5 (1), p.102-107
• Main Authors: Howe, Caroline, Suich, Helen, van Gardingen, Paul, Rahman, Atiq, Mace, Georgina M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1877-3435; 1877-3443
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cosust.2013.02.004

► Small number of ecosystem services (ES), measures of poverty and climate change studied. ► Effect of climate change on ES–poverty relationship is complex. ► Need for new empirical data and common language to elucidate links and pathways. A rapid review of the current literature on the links between climate change, ecosystem services (ES) and poverty alleviation has identified 41 papers. Of these, 19 were considered relevant as they specifically discussed the linkages between ES and poverty and the influence of climate change on that relationship. The papers reviewed focused on a limited number of ES and rarely considered multiple dimensions of poverty or the full range of climate change effects. The authors collectively recognise a complex network of relationships between ES and poverty, further complicated by the potential impacts of climate change. There is an urgent need for empirical research and interdisciplinarity, including developing a commonly understood set of definitions, in order to begin to elucidate pathways that will significantly affect the abilities of people to adapt to our rapidly changing climate.