Recent changes in ecosystem services and human well-being in the Bangladesh coastal zone

• DOI: 10.1007/s10113-014-0748-z
• Publication Date: 2015-01-20T08:01:45Z
• Authors: Md. Sarwar Hossain; John A. Dearing; M. M. Rahman; M. Salehin
• Keywords: 570; 330; Economics; Population; Gross domestic product; Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law; 01 natural sciences; Environmental science; Natural resource economics; Sociology; Ecosystem services; Importance of Marine Spatial Planning in Ecosystem Management; 14. Life underwater; Environmental resource management; Biology; Ecosystem Services; Ecosystem; Economic growth; Demography; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences; 2. Zero hunger; Global and Planetary Change; Payments for Ecosystem Services; Global Analysis of Ecosystem Services and Land Use; Geography; Ecology; Per capita; 1. No poverty; Agriculture; 15. Life on land; 6. Clean water; FOS: Sociology; 3. Good health; Archaeology; 13. Climate action; FOS: Biological sciences; Environmental Science; Physical Sciences; Land use; Drivers and Impacts of Tropical Deforestation

This study takes an historical approach in order to establish how the form and function of social-ecological system that represents Bangladesh south-western coastal zone has changed over recent decades. Time series data for a range ecosystem services drivers are analysed define trends, presence change points, slow fast variables significant change. Since 1980s, increasing gross domestic product per capita income mirror rising levels food inland fish production. As result, size population below poverty line reduced by ~17 %. In contrast, non-food such as water availability, quality land stability have deteriorated. Conversion rice fields shrimp farms is almost certainly factor soil surface salinity. Most experienced statistically points between 1975 1980, among services, farming maintenance biodiversity appear passed tipping points. An environmental Kuznets curve analysis suggests point at which growing economic wealth feeds back into effective protection not yet been reached resources. Trends indicators human well-being widespread non-stationary dynamics governed slowly changing with increased likelihood systemic threshold changes/tipping near future. The results will feed simulation models strategies can alternative sustainable paths management.