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Decision Support for the Supply of Ecosystem Services under Global Change (DecisionES) is a Marie Curie Horizon 2020 - Research and Innovation Framework Programme (2021-2025). Pressures on forest ecosystems are very likely to increase as a consequence of socioeconomic and demographic trends. A growing population will demand more products (e.g., wood) to be extracted from forest ecosystems. At the same time, these harvesting activities and their interactions with global change drivers will impact the sustainability of the supply of a wider range of non-provisioning services (e.g., wildfire protection, water, and biodiversity). The integrity of ecosystems must be safeguarded when developing harvesting activities, and yet this is further complicated by the occurrence of natural disturbances such as wildfires and droughts, etc. New decision support approaches are needed that can cope with this challenge. European and the American experiences with the development and application of decision support approaches for the provision of ecosystem services (ESs), offer a solid base for continued improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of forest management in the context of global change (e.g., responding to changes in demographics, socioeconomics, and climatic conditions). This provided the rationale for a project that will help to strengthen research collaboration through active networking and staff exchange between 8 European organizations and 10 American organizations that are leaders in these fields. This project will build from the top-level multidisciplinary expertise (wildfire ecology and management, wildfire behaviour simulation, hydrology, process-based modelling, biodiversity, wildlife management, ecology, water services, operations research, management science, stakeholder engagement, forest ecosystem management planning methods, supply chain management methods and decision support systems) in these organizations to address the integration of operational, tactical and strategic forest ecosystem management planning levels and potentiate the supply of ecosystem services at various spatial and temporal scales.
Team
Jordi García-Gozalo
The project produces significant novel research-based information of the development of Cuban energy system and its potential future development paths in local and global socio-economic, political, technological and environmental context. The project builds on previous research work of the partner institutions and other research organisations. The research work is linked to Erasmus+ CRECE project, coordinated by the Finland Futures Research Centre.
Team
Jyrki Luukkanen, Burkhard Auffermann, Jari Kaivo-oja, Mika Korkeakoski, Noora Vähäkari, Tadhg O'Mahony
The EXTREME project will be analysing and comparing the sensitivity of ecosystem functioning in desert shrubs or steppes and managed boreal forest ecosystems to the foreseen climate change, climatic variability and weather extremes, with implications for carbon sequestration and biomass production of ecosystems. The project will carry out both experimental and model-based analyses at various temporal and spatial scales. The project is expected to generate new knowledge of how carbon sequestration and biomass production of the most sensitive ecosystems response to climate change scenarios.
Team
Peltola Heli, Kellomäki Seppo, Tianshan Zha
The primary goal of this research project was to quantify how the amount, properties and influences of aerosol are changing over India at present and in the near future, and how these quantities would be affected by different emission control strategies.
Team
Heikki Lihavainen, Antti Hyvärinen, Timo Anttila
The foresight part of NEO-CARBON ENERGY explores possible futures of a new renewables-based energy production and storage system, which is being developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) and University of Turku – Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC). This joint research project is one of the strategic research openings of Tekes – The Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation. The foresight work is conducted in the Finland Futures Research Centre. A possibly distributed energy production system of neo-/low-carbon technologies and emerging issues such as prosumerism can drive economic, political, cultural and social changes. Radically new innovations, services and practices could emerge as a result of the third industrial revolution.
Team
Sirkka Heinonen, Juho Ruotsalainen, Joni Karjalainen, Marjukka Parkkinen
The ‘Exploring Tonle Sap Futures’ project (2010-13) was one of the five localised case studies of the ‘Exploring Mekong Region Futures‘ project, led by The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and funded by AusAID. The Tonle Sap study looked -similarly to the entire regional project- the nexus between water, energy, food and climate change.
Team
Marko Keskinen, Matti Kummu, Aura Salmivaara, Paradis Someth, Hannu Lauri, Hans de Moel, Philip Ward, Sokhem Pech
The INES project concentrated on energy related data collection and sustainable energy planning in one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, Lao PDR (or Laos).The purpose of INES project was to (i) collect data on households energy consumption patterns and the impact on livelihoods; (ii) collect data on energy use in industry, agriculture and transportation; (iii) develop energy plannig models for Lao PDR with different relevant ministries; (iv) carry out training and capacity building in energy models development and their use in national planning and; (v) create scenarios for planning purposes together with ministry representatives, and disseminate the information with the aim in raising awareness and support in sustainable policy making. The overall aim of the project was to improve the access to renewable energy in Laos.
Team
Jyrki Luukkanen (FFRC), Hanna Lakkala (FFRC), Mika Korkeakoski (FFRC), Juha Panula-Ontto (FFRC), Tytti Pasanen (FFRC), Visa Tuominen (FFRC), Khamso Kouphokam (MEM), Bouasavanh Khanthapat (NUOL), Ilkka Keskiväli (FFRC), Orkide Akgün (FFRC), Dorn Bouttasing (FFRC)
In terms of social wellbeing and economic activity, Lao PDR is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Yet it is rich in terms of natural resources and holds a huge potential in renewable energy sector. FREPLA project incorporates resource development view point into a single research and development (R&D) set-up. The project aimed at identifying interlinkages, barriers, trade-offs and synergies in using the full potential of rural energy resources and applying holistic water management in national strategic planning. The key message of the project was that it is necessary to assure that the Mekong and its ecosystem services (including national and regional agri- and aquaculture) are not excessively distrubed by hydropower or any other natural resource projects, such as mining.
Team
Jari Kaivo-Oja (FFRC), Sari Jusi (FFRC), Jyrki Luukkanen (FFRC), Khamso Kouphokham (MEM)
CHEC project concentrated on the very topical issue of climate change and its evident impacts on the economic structures especially in the context of China and the European Union. The objective of the research was to analyse the impacts of climate change on the global economic structures and financing mechanism from the point of view of China and EU. The spill over effects of these changes are relevant for assessing the accumulated impacts of climate change. These were profoundly analysed in the CHEC project. The project relied on the following hypotheses; (i) climate change will have an impact on the global economic structures and financing mechanisms; (ii) the impacts depend on the mitigation and adaptation policies worldwide; (iii) climate change impacts in China and EU have impacts on the global economic structures and mechanisms, and vice versa; (iv) these can be studied using global system models; (v) better understanding of emission trends, driving forces and policies in both regions help to build cooperation and put forward international climate processes.
Team
Jyrki Luukkanen (FFRC), Jarmo Vehmas (FFRC), Jari Kaivo-Oja (FFRC), Burkhard Auffermann (FFRC), Barry Hughes (Univ. of Denver), Outi Luova (Univ. of Turku), Juha Panula-Ontto (FFRC), Pertti Suomela (FFRC), Chen Ying (CASS), Wang Mou (CASS), Liao Maolin (CASS), Zhang Ying (CASS), Xiong Jianbin (CASS)
The concept of green economy is predicted to replace sustainable development as the new driving force of environmental action. A green economy is defined as low-carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive. Although the concept has received various critics, there is little empirical research related to its policy expectations or concerns. Developing countries rich in natural resources, such as Cambodia and Laos, may be able to benefit from green growth by having the opportunity to jump-start their transition towards a green economy. This project proposes a new framework to analyse green growth transitions in Cambodia and Laos and other developing countries in two extremely natural resource dependent sectors; forestry and energy.
Team
Jyrki Luukkanen (FFRC), Visa Tuominen (FFRC), Mika Korkeakoski (FFRC), Markku Kanninen (VITRI), Dipjoy Chakma (VITRI), Mira Käkönen (UH)