Mapping Ecosystem Services’ Assessments: Current Practice and Future Prospects in Malaysia

Abstract

Malaysia is one of the countries rich with biodiversity. Currently, the ecosystem services (ES) are found to be degraded in Malaysia and are expected to decline further over the coming century due to the changing political scenarios. The present study focuses on ES assessments in Malaysia, we systematically review literature to summarise achievements to date, identify key research gaps, and reveal pathways for policy uptake. Based on the findings, the current practices and developments in the mapping of ES assessment was identified. The results of research that incorporated practitioner engagement through interviews to learn about their perspectives on valuers' current practices related ecosystem service valuation were included as part of the research analysis. Analysis for this article also took into account conclusions from further semi-structured interviews with valuers working in the field of valuation as well as the most recent developments in application. Thus, we suggest that further research could focus on monetary valuation method. Economic valuation results will provide useful information about changes to welfare. Benefits transfer can be a practical, swift and cheap way to get an estimate of the value of ecosystems service, particularly when the aim is to assess a large number of diverse ecosystems.