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Institute: search.filters.UBSInstitut.Institut für Landschaftsplanung und ÖkologieAuthor: search.filters.author.Dallimer, Martin

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    Unpacking stakeholder perceptions of the benefits and challenges associated with urban greenspaces in Sub-Saharan Africa
    (2021) Guenat, Solène; Porras Lopez, Gabriel; Mkwambisi, David D; Dallimer, Martin
    Urban greenspaces underpin ecosystem service provision in cities and are therefore indispensable for human well-being. Nevertheless, they are increasingly disappearing from cities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding how the stakeholders influencing urban greenspace management perceive the benefits provided by urban greenspaces and the challenges to its conservation and management is critical for reversing this trend. Using Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe, as a case study, we conducted 44 semi-structured interviews to explore the profiles and perceptions of stakeholders who currently hold influence over greenspace planning, conservation and management. Stakeholders with influence over urban greenspace management described the main focus of their organisation as relating to urban planning, natural resources protection and management, development work, or the hospitality business sector. Critically, only a third of all stakeholders focused on natural resources protection and management. Stakeholders had nuanced and varied appreciations of the benefits that greenspaces provide. Regulation and maintenance ecosystem services, as well as cultural services were frequently mentioned. However, provisioning services were mostly mentioned by those in development work. Stakeholders also identified an additional suite of societal benefits that do not directly map onto ecosystem service frameworks, such as the generation of financial income and the provision of employment opportunities. Challenges identified as hampering the planning, conservation and management of greenspaces included inappropriate urbanisation, lack of coordination and participation, and population growth. Lack of coordination was however not widely acknowledged among those focusing on natural resources protection, who conversely identified population growth more often than any other groups. Highlighting how stakeholders with varying priorities perceive ecosystem services a first step towards improving greenspaces management both for their better acceptation and for improving their potential for biodiversity conservation. Specifically, we bring attention to need for stakeholders working with natural resources protection to recognise more the need for collaborations and engagement. Additional research is also necessary to understand how those different perspectives might be integrated into ongoing processes and procedures to manage greenspaces in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Meeting sustainable development goals via robotics and autonomous systems
    (2022) Guenat, Solène; Purnell, Phil; Davies, Zoe G.; Nawrath, Maximilian; Stringer, Lindsay C.; Babu, Giridhara Rathnaiah; Balasubramanian, Muniyandi; Ballantyne, Erica E. F.; Bylappa, Bhuvana Kolar; Chen, Bei; De Jager, Peta; Del Prete, Andrea; Di Nuovo, Alessandro; Ehi-Eromosele, Cyril O.; Eskandari Torbaghan, Mehran; Evans, Karl L.; Fraundorfer, Markus; Haouas, Wissem; Izunobi, Josephat U.; Jauregui-Correa, Juan Carlos; Kaddouh, Bilal Y.; Lewycka, Sonia; MacIntosh, Ana C.; Mady, Christine; Maple, Carsten; Mhiret, Worku N.; Mohammed-Amin, Rozhen Kamal; Olawole, Olukunle Charles; Oluseyi, Temilola; Orfila, Caroline; Ossola, Alessandro; Pfeifer, Marion; Pridmore, Tony; Rijal, Moti L.; Rega-Brodsky, Christine C.; Robertson, Ian D.; Rogers, Christopher D. F.; Rougé, Charles; Rumaney, Maryam B.; Seeletso, Mmabaledi K.; Shaqura, Mohammed Z.; Suresh, L. M.; Sweeting, Martin N.; Taylor Buck, Nick; Ukwuru, M. U.; Verbeek, Thomas; Voss, Hinrich; Wadud, Zia; Wang, Xinjun; Winn, Neil; Dallimer, Martin
    Robotics and autonomous systems are reshaping the world, changing healthcare, food production and biodiversity management. While they will play a fundamental role in delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, associated opportunities and threats are yet to be considered systematically. We report on a horizon scan evaluating robotics and autonomous systems impact on all Sustainable Development Goals, involving 102 experts from around the world. Robotics and autonomous systems are likely to transform how the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved, through replacing and supporting human activities, fostering innovation, enhancing remote access and improving monitoring. Emerging threats relate to reinforcing inequalities, exacerbating environmental change, diverting resources from tried-and-tested solutions and reducing freedom and privacy through inadequate governance. Although predicting future impacts of robotics and autonomous systems on the Sustainable Development Goals is difficult, thoroughly examining technological developments early is essential to prevent unintended detrimental consequences. Additionally, robotics and autonomous systems should be considered explicitly when developing future iterations of the Sustainable Development Goals to avoid reversing progress or exacerbating inequalities.