QEH Working Paper Series – QEHWPS181 Page 1 Working Paper Number 181 Multi-criteria Assessment of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: New Dimensions and Stakeholders in the South of France Stanislav Edward Shmelev* 1 This paper summarises research undertaken to develop a methodology for multi-criteria assessment of biodiversity which takes into account a multitude of criteria and stakeholder perspectives. The proposed methodology will be of particular value for developing countries, where conflicts of interest regarding ecosystems and biodiversity are numerous and often involve businesses, government, local residents, and other stakeholders. The article reviews the state of the art in the field of multi-criteria methods and assessment of ecosystems and biodiversity. It presents the results of analytical work undertaken on the basis of interviews carried out in the Provence–Alpes–Côte d’Azur (PACA) region of France, focusing on biodiversity in the Réserve Naturelle Coussouls de Crau. The paper addresses three main issues: selection of the multi-criteria assessment method, selection of the assessment criteria, and a comparison of stakeholder interests in the context of biodiversity analysis. Identification of potential decision criteria was based on a survey of key stakeholders, namely Management of the Réserve Naturelle Coussouls de Crau; Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, a national biodiversity research institution; the Laissez-faire Association, protecting the interests of the agricultural community; CDC Biodiversité (a branch of Caisse des Dépôts), a group carrying out long-term investments in the public interest; and Direction regionale de l’environnement Provence–Alpes–Côte d'Azur (DIREN-PACA). Based on these interviews, 14 ecological, nine economic, and 12 social criteria were identified. Further analysis revealed very few points of overlap among the interests of the stakeholders, which complicates the case for consensus building. Not accepting the idea that the value of ecosystems and biodiversity can be expressed in monetary terms, the author suggests an alternative, more inclusive approach, focusing on multiple social, economic, and ecological dimensions of ecosystem value, and illustrates the existence of divergent interests among the stakeholders. This experience would be particularly useful in situations where local communities have to defend their right to a clean environment and preserve important virgin ecosystems for the future generations. * Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford November 2010 1 Stanislav Edward Shmelev is a Research Associate at the Oxford Department of International Development, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford. This paper forms part of a larger study on the assessment of sustainability with the help of multi-criteria methods. The author is grateful to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Ministry of the Ecology, Environment, Sustainable Development and the Oceans, Government of France for financial support for this research. The author would also like to express gratitude to all the stakeholders who took part in the Delphi survey, Prof. Denis Bouyssou (University Paris Dauphine) for valuable discussion on multiple-criteria decision aid, Prof. Irina Shmeleva (St Petersburg State University) for valuable suggestions on the environmental psychology and sociological dimensions of the project, and Ms Muriel Bonjean (University of Oxford) for help in data search, conducting interviews, and transcribing the results. The paper was presented at the DIREN-PACA on 18.09.2008, the Ministry of the Environment of France on 01.12.2008, and the IUCN Headquarters on 20.05.2009. It was taken into account in the UNEP report on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). All the usual disclaimers apply.