Mgr. Davina Elena Vačkářová, Ph.D. – head
Scientists:
MSc. Tomáš Baďura, Ph.D.
Mgr. Aneta Blažka
Mgr. et Mgr. Jan Daněk, Ph.D.
Mgr. Johana Drlíková
Mgr. et Mgr. Eva Horváthová, Ph.D.
Mgr. et Mgr. Petr Krpec, Ph.D.
Ph.D. students:
MSc. Helena Duchková
Our research group focuses on interdisciplinary research on natural systems, economic mechanisms, and environmental inequalities, including their interconnections in the context of global change. We analyze and assess ecosystem services and examine their distribution across different social groups. Our goal is to apply research results in strategies and policies to ensure scientific knowledge serves as a foundation for informed decision-making. We aim to understand the impacts of global change on quality of life and explore pathways toward sustainability within the planet’s natural limits.
Research Areas
Ecosystems
Researching various aspects of nature’s benefits to people, including ecosystem services, biodiversity, and associated nature values. We focus on integrating these aspects into policies and decision-making while developing tools and methods for assessing ecosystem services to support nature conservation, climate change adaptation, and sustainable natural resource management.
Economics
Applying concepts of environmental and ecological economics to understand and quantify the value of nature and assess the impacts of economic systems on ecosystems and human well-being. We focus on innovative approaches, such as natural capital accounting and alternative sustainability indicators within planetary boundaries.
Equity
Examining the fair distribution of ecosystem service benefits and economic development. We research environmental justice by identifying and mitigating the disproportionate impacts of global change and ecosystem degradation on vulnerable communities, promoting inclusive decision-making.
Research Objectives
Integrated Ecosystem Services Assessment – Developing and applying new approaches to quantifying the ecological, economic, and social values of ecosystems to support sustainable policies, corporate strategies, and planning processes.
Nature-Based Solutions and Adaptation to Global Change – Investigating and promoting ecosystem-based solutions that integrate environmental, economic, and social needs. This includes ecosystem restoration and the adaptation of cities and landscapes to climate change.
Effective and Equitable Environmental Policies – Assessing environmental policies to minimize costs, maximize societal benefits, and ensure a fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens across different stakeholders.
Urban Ecosystems, Sustainability, and Justice – Exploring the role of urban ecosystems in promoting equity and quality of life through nature-based solutions and analyzing the spatial and social distribution of impacts in cities for sustainable urban planning.
Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Strategies – Analyzing the interactions between climate change, ecosystem services, and social justice. We focus on understanding environmental and social vulnerabilities and developing strategies for adaptation and risk minimization in the context of sustainable development.
Collaboration
We collaborate closely with universities, where we contribute to teaching and supervising students. We also work with the Ministry of the Environment, the Czech Statistical Office, and other public administration institutions. Our partners include non-governmental organizations and private sector entities, with whom we share expertise and support the application of scientific knowledge in practice.
Selected Projects
Ongoing Projects
LIFE-IP: N2K Revisited Integrated LIFE project for the Natura 2000 network in the Czech Republic
SELINA Science for Evidence-based and sustainabLe decIsions about NAtural capital
Completed Projects
MAIA Mapping and Assessment for Integrated ecosystem Accounting
ESMERALDA Enhancing ecoSysteM sERvices mApping for poLicy and Decision mAking
LIFE TreeCheck Green Infrastructure Minimizing the Urban Heat Island Effect
