Polisol
Policy Instruments for Sustainable Soil and Land Use Management and their Acceptance
POLISOL is an inter- and transdisciplinary project and will analyze policy instruments for sustainable soil and land use management and their acceptance. It combines an innovative participatory modelling of the effects of policies on land use and soil ecosystem services with the analysis of market based instruments and their political acceptance.
POLISOL will explore the following lead questions which are addressed in the second call and are of a high scientific as well practical relevance:
- What is an appropriate design of market-based instruments that take account of the scarcity of land as well as of the relevant ecosystem services and soil functions?
- Which factors affect the political acceptance of instruments?
- What are the reactions of actors and markets and what are the outcomes in terms of land use and soil protection if new instruments are introduced?
- Which instruments can be recommended, based on their expected outcome and acceptance?
POLISOL will contribute to the urgent policy questions, as well as to scientific progress with regard to interactive decision-modelling, policy effectiveness of instruments and the research on acceptance. It will combine these issues in an innovative inter- and transdisciplinary way, involving stakeholder groups at various levels. It is supported by the Federal Offices for the Environment, for Spatial Development and for Agricultural as well as the Canton of Berne.
PLUS provides a 3D virtual environment for the examination of the reactions of various actors. The effects on soil function and ecosystem services for possible scenarios are modeled and included in the virtual environment. In a survey as well as through expert interviews PLUS investigates the acceptance of soil ecosystem service related policy instruments.
The project team aims to be able to give recommendations for the further development of spatial and soil policy and hopes to contribute to the current debate on land use management and the interlinked soil quality.
Project data
Persons involved
Funding
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF):
National Research Programme NRP68
"Sustainable use of soil as a resource”
Consortium
Ecoplan (Economic and Political Research and Consulting), Bern
University of Bern (Center of Competence for Public Management), Bern
Duration
36 Months (01.12.2014 - 30.11.2017)