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PML contributes to paper on human health and wellbeing benefits associated with mangrove habitats
7 September 2022
Plymouth Marine Laboratory's Andrew Edwards-Jones has contributed to a paper that offers qualitative research on cultural ecosystem services, specifically examining human health and wellbeing benefits associated with mangrove habitats, using fishermen of the Klang Islands, Malaysia, as a case study.
Mangroves continue to be extensively replaced for alternative land uses despite global recognition of their value for ecosystem services. Limited effort has been directed into understanding how changes in mangrove ecosystems affect human well-being, especially in SE Asia.
Using inhabited islands in the Klang archipelago, Selangor, Malaysia, as a case study, this paper explores the relationships between mangrove ecosystem services and human well-being by adapting and modifying three existing conceptual frameworks. Semi-structured interviews with island residents were conducted to explore mangroves’ contribution to human well-being. Analysis revealed that respondents recognised examples of regulating, cultural, and provisioning ecosystem services which resulted from their interaction with mangroves.
While all three categories of ecosystem services contributed to both basic human needs and subjective well-being, provisioning and cultural services were reported to also contribute to economic needs while regulating services aligned more strongly to environmental needs.
These findings can contribute to more inclusive decision-making processes concerning development and conservation planning in the rapidly urbanizing Klang islands, which would affect the overall well-being of the communities in general, largely the Malay, Chinese and Mah Meri communities, and the fishing communities specifically.