Societal values and consequences of integrating geosystem services into subsurface planning​ - workshop results

Other - Broschyr som sammanfattar resultat från 4 workshoppar/Flyer that presents the results from 4 workshops, 2021

The subsurface is not only a construction basis which provides physical space for infrastructure and the possibility to create a better surface living environment: the subsurface is a multifunctional natural resource. Apart from physical space, it provides water, energy, materials, habitats for ecosystems, support for surface life, and a repository for cultural and geological heritage, all of which can contribute to achieve the SDGs and tackle challenges to transform to a sustainable society. ​The subsurface is invisible in planning and policy. In the description of the SDGs, only aquifers are explicitly mentioned. In the Swedish planning legislation, there is no explicit mentioning of the subsurface. Instead of considered a resource, the subsurface is often perceived as uncertain, problematic and costly. In Sweden, as elsewhere, the first-come first-served principle applies to access to the subsurface resources, hindering strategic planning and in the end, sustainable use of precious, sometimes non-renewable resources. ​The development of subsurface planning, which both 1) takes the subsurface conditions into better account in the surface planning, and 2) balances the use of different subsurface resources, will create better possibilities for both urban and rural areas to transform sustainably. ​Introducing the concept of geosystem services into planning processes will create benefits by:​ making the resources of the subsurface more visible and support communication regarding the subsurface​, and carifying the societal benefits of the subsurface and support a more holistic subsurface planning​. Four workshops with four different topics were conducted to investigate geosystem services and societal values in different contexts together with stakeholders. The flyer presents the results from the workshops, which were used to develop a research application to the Formas Call PLanning for Transformation, Stage 2, January 2021.