Eraiqat

Faisal Eraiqat
IB Environmental Systems and Societies
Mr. Mangan
7 December 2015
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Report
Stockholm Urban, Sweden:
Summary of main findings:
One MEA is the Stockholm Urban in Sweden. Stockholm county is home to an area of 678,500
hectares of land and water. Forests occupy 46% of the land area, 14% is dedicated to human
settlement and the rest is for other uses of land. Due to Stockholms large population, the
ecosystem has deteriorated leading to a loss of species. The main direct driver of ecosystem
change analyzed is green area loss, which is of great importance as they want to try and
preserve their green area to make sure that it is sustainable and can continually be used for later
times. The main indirect driver of change leading to green area loss is population growth, with
the associated urban sprawl, drivers that are reinforced by economic growth, coupled with
institutional mismatches for ecosystem management and a lack of understanding of ecological
support functions. With the population growing, more resources are needed to match their
necessities and needs. They take up much land and space, which is provided by the removal of
green areas rather than areas where people actually live in. Their main aim is to investigate how
adaptive capacity can be built to better adapt to change and, more specifically, to find effective
ways to manage urban ecosystem services, which is saying how they need to try and preserve

Eraiqat

their green areas yet meet the needs of the urban societies. The positives of this is that,
successful co-management already exists in some parts of Stockholm County. For example, a
wetland project known as Tyres-projektet within a major system of lakes south of Stockholm
aims to coordinate the lake management among six municipalities, and to handle
upstream/downstream problems related to eutrophication. They already have a kick starter for
their objectives, showing that Sweden is already a sustainable country and believes that
preserving the environment is beneficial for society. The negatives are that from the loss of green
areas it, leads to loss of aesthetic, recreational, and cultural services that, in turn, may lead to
reduced human health and well-being. This is a big contributing factor as the aim is the
maintain urban services, but the people are getting hurt and their living conditions will be
damaged. Another con us from the population increase and urban development, the region
displays degradation of ecosystems, with a loss of both common and red listed species. Besides
humans, other species are negatively impacted, with them decreasing in population size and a
possibility of extinction. This just shows the interconnectivity between the environment and
humans, and that they must work together for the well-being of each other.
Another MEA is the Vilcanota in Peru. There has been a, global dynamics and drivers of
ecosystem change, such as mass tourism and mining. These impacts are significant at the subregional and local level, particularly in terms of the ecological and socio-cultural dimensions.
This may cause short and long-term loss of capacity for self-reliance, and the erosion of
biological and cultural diversity. Vilcanota has ice- capped mountain, 469 glaciers in 539 square
km. It borders the Amazon on the east, and the Andes in the west. The main aim or objective of
the assessment is to assess the state of the ecosystem in the Vilcanota sub-region of the Peruvian
Andes. And also looking at the agro biodiversity in the area, with the geography and land so

Eraiqat

distinct in different areas if the Vilcanota. The positives are that the ecosystem has
differentiation, as well as historical factors, have produced a very rich biological and cultural
diversity in the region characterized by the existence of a large number of endemic species. The
culture and history of the region from old practices made managing the local natural resources,
for sustaining local livelihoods. The negatives are that the natural resources are now under
pressure and local land users have little means to improve their livelihoods. Present day changes
and the influence of a liberalized world economy, particularly mining and tourism, have created
social and cultural tensions and ecological degradation. The area is being forced into this
change from modern pressure and expectations from other.
One similarity from both assessments is that both dilemmas are man-made. In Stockholm,
the main cause is the major increase in population, which caused them to consume more
resources and take up more green areas. In Vilcanota, the main cause is mining and tourism as
they try to be more modern and attract more people. They contrast as in Stockholm, they are
suffering from a loss of its species and from the destruction of habitat, while Vilcanota is
succeeding in maintaining a large number of species and preserving their lands for the species.