A systematic review of urban ecosystem disservices and its evaluation: Key findings and implications

Abstract

Ecosystem functions generate both ecosystem services (ES) and ecosystem disservices (EDS). EDS are aspects of ecosystems that have a negative impact on human well-being. Despite growing recognition of EDS, comprehensive reviews exploring their nature across different geographical contexts and the evaluation methods utilized to study them remains scarce. This study addresses this gap through a systematic review and bibliometric analysis. A search in the Web of Science (WoS) database identified 1098 articles, from which 49 papers were selected using the ROSES flow diagram, including one pre-screened article from Google Scholar. The bibliometric analysis in VOSviewer revealed four clusters, highlighting key themes and hotspots in EDS research. The reviewed papers primarily used case study methodologies, focusing on European cities, with limited research from the global South, where socio-cultural and environmental differences may reveal different EDS dynamics. Our review identified 24 EDS types and various evaluation methods, including qualitative analysis, remote sensing and GIS, sampling method and mixed-methods which reveals a predominance of qualitative assessments of EDS, with limited quantitative approaches. Moreover, the impact of EDS on vulnerable groups are rarely explored, indicating a gap in urban environment research. This review calls for the development of evidence-based quantitative methods to assess EDS and urges their integration within ES frameworks for a more holistic understanding of urban ecosystem complexities. By bridging gaps in geographical coverage, addressing socio-cultural dimensions, and focusing on the needs of vulnerable populations, future research can guide urban planners towards more sustainable, equitable, and resilient cities.