UNEP Ecosystem Management Programme: An Ecosystem Approach

This programme document expands on the rationale which underlies a more holistic approach to environmental management capable of sustaining the ecosystem service delivery essential for human well-being. Sectoral and biome-based approaches have largely failed to reverse this trend. The ecosystem approach put forward here is guided by a conceptual framework—largely based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment—which acknowledges the interdependency of coupled ecological and social systems and recognizes the multi-dimensional aspects of human well-being. Key attributes of the approach are captured in sections on ecosystem services and human well-being, on ecosystem functioning, biodiversity and ecosystem resilience, on multiple scales and stakeholders, on synergies and trade-offs and on equity and distribution.