Developing Human Wellbeing Indicators for the Puget Sound Partnership
Presentation Abstract
The consequences of environmental change span the realm of human experience, making it difficult for natural resource managers to identify and evaluate common impacts and priority benefits to humans. Simple frameworks that generalize the best metrics of human wellbeing related to the natural environment have rarely been empirically tested for their representativeness across diverse social-ecological systems. This study tested the hypothesis that metrics of human wellbeing related to environmental change are context specific by identifying priority human wellbeing indicators in distinct social-ecological systems. Working in three regions, the research team interviewed 61 experts and held 8 stakeholder workshops to identify and prioritize locally-relevant indicators. Results from the three regions were compared to understand the degree of geographic and demographic variability in indicator priorities, providing an initial test to the hypothesis. We found broadly similar domains and attributes of human wellbeing across the different social-ecological systems, yet measurable indicators were specific to the social-ecological contexts. Despite this, the congruence of overarching domains suggests that a simple high-level framework of human wellbeing can guide a holistic assessment of the human impacts of global environmental change across diverse social-ecological systems.
Session Title
Human Wellbeing Related to the Salish Sea
Conference Track
People
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Well-being--Salish Sea Region (B.C. and Wash.); Global environmental change
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
Puget Sound Partnership
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Developing Human Wellbeing Indicators for the Puget Sound Partnership
2016SSEC
The consequences of environmental change span the realm of human experience, making it difficult for natural resource managers to identify and evaluate common impacts and priority benefits to humans. Simple frameworks that generalize the best metrics of human wellbeing related to the natural environment have rarely been empirically tested for their representativeness across diverse social-ecological systems. This study tested the hypothesis that metrics of human wellbeing related to environmental change are context specific by identifying priority human wellbeing indicators in distinct social-ecological systems. Working in three regions, the research team interviewed 61 experts and held 8 stakeholder workshops to identify and prioritize locally-relevant indicators. Results from the three regions were compared to understand the degree of geographic and demographic variability in indicator priorities, providing an initial test to the hypothesis. We found broadly similar domains and attributes of human wellbeing across the different social-ecological systems, yet measurable indicators were specific to the social-ecological contexts. Despite this, the congruence of overarching domains suggests that a simple high-level framework of human wellbeing can guide a holistic assessment of the human impacts of global environmental change across diverse social-ecological systems.
