The Carpathians are one of the Europe’s largest biodiversity pools and one of the most intensively exploited mountain ranges.To protect this natural capital, interdisciplinary and international cooperation is needed to accomplish a significant state of ecological networks implementation and Ecosystem Services (ESS) assessment. This work package aims to provide possible answers on how to deal with the driving forces of the development process strategy of the Carpathian Convention, which calls for innovative and consensual solutions.

Ecosystem Services are complex and interrelated ecological systems that support life and local development recalling attention on how people depend on a healthy environment for different purposes. Biodiversity is an essential component of ESS, therefore needing a more comprehensive approach to address decisions involving or impinging on ecosystems that may lead to human well-being reduction through ESS loss. A Thematic Transnational Task Force on Carpathian Ecosystem Services was established, involving experts from all Carpathian countries.

The ESS assessment approach provided by this work package was able to cover this need an to inform policymakers and management practitioners. The developed Carpathian Ecosystem Services Toolkit is based on related existing ESS assessments related to many issues, especially area-based planning, regulatory decision analysis, environmental damages assessment and management. The elaboration of the toolkit was a collective work of experts in ESS and decision-making processes, consulted with relevant stakeholders and will provide a practical, step-by-step guide for further understanding and direction. 

Work package achievements