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In PLUS research, people are our focus. Are you curious to know more about how this happens? PLUS researchers share their first-hand narratives about the societal relevance and impact of their research.


Urban Ecosystem Services – the Suriname project

Protected by the white plastic shield sits a measurement device for air temperature and humidity. We use this in a project on urban green spaces and urban ecosystem services derived from them in Paramaribo, Suriname (http://www.groenparamaribo.org/en/). For this, ITC departments NRS and PGM have teamed up with the NGO Tropenbos Suriname.

Since comparatively little is known about ecosystem services (https://www.itc.nl/global-impact/ecosystem-services/) provided by urban green areas in the tropics, collecting and analysing data fills a crucial research gap. Also, we engage citizens in collecting data via a citizen science monitoring program: Citizens can adopt a green space and report on it regularly. Furthermore, we develop educational material for MSc students in Suriname and the Netherlands. Finally, we raise awareness with decision-makers and the general public.