Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs in Peri-Urban Landscapes: Drivers, Governance Obstacles and Improvements

Trade-offs in ecosystem services (ESs) manifest when the enhancement of one service leads to the diminishment of another. These trade-offs pose a notable challenge, impacting the sustainability of particular socioecological system peri-urban landscapes (PULs). This issue arises from the dynamic processes associated with peri-urbanization, which threaten natural ecosystems and their services in peri-urban areas. Additionally, the escalating demand for ecosystem services in PULs contributes to these trade-offs. Policymaking and planning concerning ES trade-offs in PULs should prioritize promoting a balance between conflicting services and fostering synergies among them. However, it is noteworthy that ES trade-offs in PULs are not given high priority in policy and planning agendas. Knowledge regarding policy development and planning for ES trade-offs in PULs often remains concealed within specific country and regional case studies. Consequently, this research seeks to characterize the ES trade-offs in selected PUL case studies, with the objective of identifying potential commonalities among them. Furthermore, this study aims to identify (i) the factors driving ES trade-offs, (ii) challenges related to how policymaking and planning address ES trade-offs in PULs, and (iii) recommendations for enhancing governance practices to better manage peri-urban ES trade-offs. We designed a semi-quantitative survey and collected information about 24 case studies located across the world. The answers from this survey were analyzed using principal component analysis. The results showed that the most common trade-offs occurred between “cultural and provisioning” and “regulating and provisioning” ESs. It was found that urban development is the primary driver behind the emergence of the examined trade-offs. To address this issue at the governance level, this study recommends establishing mechanisms to facilitate collaboration among stakeholders. This should be accompanied by robust dissemination efforts and the promotion of awareness among actors regarding the fundamental concepts of ESs and PULs.