Nathalie Pipart

Researcher

Belgian Ecosystems & Society Newsletter - April 2016. Acces the full newsletter here.

 

1. How are you involved in BEES ?

I have been working for two years at the University of Namur, with Nicolas Dendoncker, one of the
coordinator of BEES, mainly on the Walloon platform on ecosystem services (Wal-ES). I participate
regularly in the coordination meetings and contribute to different tasks like organising the BEES
Christmas market, translating policy briefs, writing papers, etc. I have actually been involved since the
early steps of this community of practice: in 2011-2012 I participated in the BELSPO-funded 4-years
national cluster project “BElgium Ecosystem Services (BEES): A vision for society-nature interactions”.
From these exchanges grew the idea that policy, science and society should work together and have a
dedicated place to interact and exchange experiences and results.

2. How does BEES succeed in fostering exchanges between those sectors?

I think that there is a really good dynamic going on in BEES: a hard core of members from both universities/
research centres and public administration, and broader-reaching events. The BEES Christmas market
for instance has been organised twice. The relaxed, fun and free atmosphere that characterises it while
enabling enriching exchanges seems to be effective and appealing to people who are sometimes tired to
go to formal conferences or meetings. And we have many more projects and ideas on the way!

3. What are the challenges you face in your research?

In Wallonia the research on ecosystem services is only in its early stages. Wal-ES, the Walloon platform
on ecosystem services, counts only four members in its scientific hub (two full-time). We have managed
to design in one year the necessary basis to develop decision-support tools and assess ES on the regional
scale (conceptual and valuation frameworks, methodology, database, website…). But we lack funds and
policy support. If collaborations between public administrations and researchers are increasing thanks
to personal initiatives and organisations like BEES, policy makers (ministers and theirs counsellors) are
still very difficult to reach: they are on the opposite side of the long term/short term spectrum… we have
to find a way to meet midway.