Article

Quantifying Landscape and Social Amenities as Ecosystem Services in Rapidly Changing Peri-Urban Landscape

Asad AzizDepartment of Geography, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat 50700, PakistanMuhammad Mushahid AnwarDepartment of Geography, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat 50700, PakistanMuhammad MajeedDepartment of Botany, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat 50700, PakistanSammer FatimaDepartment of Botany, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat 50700, PakistanSyed Shajee MehdiDepartment of Geography, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat 50700, PakistanWali Muhammad MangrioDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur 66111, PakistanAmine ElbouzidiLaboratoire d’Amélioration des Productions Agricoles, Biotechnologie et Environnement (LAPABE), Faculté des Sciences, Université Mohammed Premier, Oujda 60000, MoroccoMuhammad AbdullahCholistan Institute of Desert Studies, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, PakistanShadab ShaukatDepartment of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Lasbela University of Agriculture Water and Marine Sciences, Uthal 90150, PakistanNafeesa ZahidDepartment of Botany, Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mirpur 10250, PakistanEman A. MahmoudDepartment of Food Industries, Faculty of Agriculture, Damietta University, Damietta 34511, EgyptRyan CasiniSchool of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94704, USAKowiyou YessoufouDepartment of Geography, Environmental Management, and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, APK Campus, Johannesburg 2006, South AfricaHosam O. ElansaryDepartment of Plant Production, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

2023en

ABI

Abstract

The peri-urban landscape is a highly dynamic area between the urban zone and the rural belt. The heterogeneous natural landscape around the cities provides several ecosystem services, but progressive urbanization affects it and results in the loss of biodiversity, greenery, and related benefits. This study attempts to quantify the social amenities associated with ecosystem services in the peri-urban landscape of the Gujrat district, in Pakistan, by using the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) The results show that the peri-urban landscape provides amenities for the well-being of the community. Such amenities and the related recreational opportunities represent ecosystem services that are highly regarded by the residents, so much so that a significant willingness to pay can be associated with them. Therefore, this study highlights that natural areas and green areas’ landscapes must be taken into account when facing the social and economic necessity to provide for city expansion in developing countries, especially when aiming to achieve development in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals. The ecosystem services and their evaluation are confirmed as indispensable tools for conservation and fortification of landscape development.

Identifiers

DOI: 10.3390/land12020477

Citations and references

Cited by 20 references

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