Ecological restoration : meeting ground for conservationists and economists

Abstract

Investing money to conserve what remains of ‘wild' nature now appears as common sense, and a high priority, globally Ecological sustainability in a human-dominated world depends on the continual investment of financial, human and social capital in the restoration of damaged and depleted ecosystems. Restoration can, enhance, simultaneously the social, economic, psychological and spiritual values and aspects of human welfare. Unfortunately, however, restoration is still perceived by many as a diversion, a delusion, or worse. Opponents of ecological restoration argue that restoration is encroaching on the already small and declining conservation budgets and that focus should be on conservation and not restoration. They reason that promise of ecological restoration wins support for developments that transform natural systems causing lasting damage. Nevertheless, society needs to make use of land that has already been degraded and find ways to integrate human needs and aspirations with conservation of natural capital stock In developing countries of the geopolitical South, where most biodiversity is concentrated, and where most biodiversity hotspots occur, both the restoration of degraded ecosystems and landscapes, and the conservation of nature in general, will only find support if they are clearly linked to sound socio-economic development. We argue that nature conservation, ecological restoration, and sustainable economic development are, in fact, inter-dependent and that they should be planned, budgeted and executed conjointly. Viewed from this perspective, restoration could play an extremely important role in both in situ and ex situ conservation strategies. We present arguments and examples to support this call for cooperation among those currently concerned exclusively with nature conservation or economic development. We predict that, in the coming decades, ecological restoration will focus on restoring natural capital, the obvious but long neglected meeting ground for ecology and economics, community groups and public policy. By restoring natural capital, we also restore social capital, and contribute to our chances for sustainability.