Forums | HES 健康与环境科学

17 September 2025, 8:31 PM

Speaker: Dr. Takahiro Ota

Title: Urban OECMs and Ecosystem Services: New Frontiers in Biodiversity Conservation

Date: 2025-09-19

Time: 14:00-15:00 

Room: ES354

Host: Dr. Yuehan Dou

主持人： 窦月含

Abstract: 

OECMs (Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures) are areas outside formal protected zones that still contribute to biodiversity conservation. In Japan, the Ministry of the Environment is promoting OECM recognition on private lands and developing systems to connect conservation efforts with funding and technical support. Some urban green spaces in cities like Tokyo and Osaka have been designated as OECMs. While these areas may lack rare species, they are visited daily by large numbers of people, making their ecosystem services especially significant. Financial and technical support for OECMs can also be seen as part of biodiversity offset strategies. While such offsets are sometimes criticized as greenwashing, they can play a key role in conservation when implemented effectively. This seminar will explore OECMs through the lens of ecosystem service policies, particularly Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), drawing on the speaker’s field research and experience.

Biography：

Takahiro Ota is Associate Professor in the Environmental Coexistence Studies lab, Global Studies Division, Graduate School of Human Sciences at The University of Osaka. He earned his Doctor title in Engineering from Nagoya University in March 2013 and an M.Sc. in Biodiversity and Conservation from the University of Leeds in September 2008. Dr. Ota’s research focuses on ecosystem services, payment for ecosystem services (PES), cultural ecosystem services, wetlands, and environmental policy. He develops methodologies to enhance PES policies and assess ecosystem service needs—particularly in forests and Wetlands—across contexts such as Japan and Indonesia. Active in academic service, he serves as an editor for Sustainability Science, and holds board positions in multiple Japanese environmental academic societies.

Look forward to seeing you!

Liwen Wu