Ecosystem services and urban water: an assessment of the goods and benefits accruing from sustainable approaches to urban water management
type: CreativeWork
description: This research creates a linkage between Ecosystem Services (ES) and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) in urban residential areas. The findings suggest that optimisation of ecosystem service goods and benefits, particularly cultural service and regulating service benefits, can be delivered through SUDS within urban greenspace settings. Previous studies have indicated that SUDS can help to manage water quality, water quantity and provide amenity. Additionally, the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (2011) has concluded that nature provides many ES benefits. Within this context, SUDS in urban greenspace areas have a high potential to provide opportunities to enhance urban ES provision beyond ‘simply’ water management. Within this thesis, an integrated methodology (consisting of physical and social science methods) is used to assess cultural and regulating services provided by SUDS. The results are collated to consolidate the data on different SUDS types and to develop and test a communication tool, to confirm the multiple benefits provided by SUDS. The work contributes to existing knowledge in this field of study, particularly as there is a very limited information available on delivery of cultural ecosystem services from SUDS. Two case study sites, in Dundee and Dunfermline (both in Scotland, UK), with well-established SUDS features, were selected for the field assessment of ES and SUDS linkages. A third case study location, at Waterlooville (England, UK) was used to test the communication tool. The methodologies used in this research include visual inspection, public perception survey, Public Participatory Geographical Information Systems (PPGIS) and a pond and wetland survey. The results confirm that SUDS provide multiple ES benefits, particularly cultural and regulating services. Public perception results showed a statistical link between SUDS and ES provision in terms of biodiversity, aesthetics and educational benefits. The PPGIS results show the most favou…
abstract: This research creates a linkage between Ecosystem Services (ES) and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) in urban residential areas. The findings suggest that optimisation of ecosystem service goods and benefits, particularly cultural service and regulating service benefits, can be delivered through SUDS within urban greenspace settings. Previous studies have indicated that SUDS can help to manage water quality, water quantity and provide amenity. Additionally, the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (2011) has concluded that nature provides many ES benefits. Within this context, SUDS in urban greenspace areas have a high potential to provide opportunities to enhance urban ES provision beyond ‘simply’ water management. Within this thesis, an integrated methodology (consisting of physical and social science methods) is used to assess cultural and regulating services provided by SUDS. The results are collated to consolidate the data on different SUDS types and to develop and test a communication tool, to confirm the multiple benefits provided by SUDS. The work contributes to existing knowledge in this field of study, particularly as there is a very limited information available on delivery of cultural ecosystem services from SUDS. Two case study sites, in Dundee and Dunfermline (both in Scotland, UK), with well-established SUDS features, were selected for the field assessment of ES and SUDS linkages. A third case study location, at Waterlooville (England, UK) was used to test the communication tool. The methodologies used in this research include visual inspection, public perception survey, Public Participatory Geographical Information Systems (PPGIS) and a pond and wetland survey. The results confirm that SUDS provide multiple ES benefits, particularly cultural and regulating services. Public perception results showed a statistical link between SUDS and ES provision in terms of biodiversity, aesthetics and educational benefits. The PPGIS results show the most favou…
author: Jose, Roshni
language: eng
date published: 2017-7-4
date modified: 2026-07-24T00:50:03Z
provider: Abertay University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Abertay University