Ecosystem Services: Derivation and Critique of the Political Ecology Perspective

Abstract

Ecosystem services (ES) is a concept concerning the relationship between humans and the environment. In the last two to three decades, this concept has drawn interest and has been applied broadly in international academic issues, policy making and environmental advocacy. However, the implementation of this concept regarding Thailand’s environmental problems remains in the early stages. This paper aims to stimulate interest, shorten the time and overcome difficulties in understanding the concept. It provides knowledge about preliminary ES by presenting the concept derivation and a critique from the “inside,” referring to relevant ES-related courses such as Biology, Ecology, Economics. The rest of this paper focuses on a critique from the “outside” in which the authors concentrate on a critique from the perspective of Political Ecology, which is critical of it and provokes a discussion of more serious environmental solutions. The paper concludes by indicating that ES is a dynamic concept that can be applied in diverse ways. It has become a new agenda in academic fields pushing research whether or not there is agreement with the concept. The emergence of ES as a transdisciplinary concept makes it a challenging issue with great significance towards social andeconomic development. For Thailand’s environmental field, learning and using ES is definitely important and urgent.