Multiple dimensions of wellbeing in practice

Over the last decade, there has been a growing consensus as to the relevance of the concept of wellbeing to global policy and practice in sustainable development. In particular, the use of multi-dimensional wellbeing as a central concept in the MA has opened up ecosystem services and poverty research to more holistic multidimensional approaches. This chapter reviews ESPA research that engages with a multi-dimensional concept of wellbeing in the context of ecosystem services, and relates findings to the broader wellbeing literature. We establish three key findings, which are particularly important in efforts to harness ecosystem services to produce sustainable wellbeing outcomes. First, recognising the need for social differentiation in understanding ecosystem-wellbeing relationships; second, identifying and tackling trade-offs between different ecosystem services and dimensions of wellbeing; and third, highlighting inequality and injustice around how ecosystem services are distributed. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for poverty reduction and the global sustainable development agenda.