FiveBecomings (Pañchabhūmi)^[1] projects have the goal of (re-)establishing ecosymbiotic self-reliance^[2] for a beneficiary community (Community), necessitating the concurrent revitalization of both the ecological web (ecoweb)^[3] of which the Community is a part and also the Ādi-Knowtep^[4] (ecoweb- and ecoself^[5]-rooted ancient Indigenous Knowledge-Technologies-Practices) of the Community. 

The multi-faceted local and global impact of every FiveBecomings project can be understood from several established lenses, including (a) the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)^[6], (b) the rights framework (e.g., human rights^[7] and ecological rights), (c) climate resilience/stabilization^[8], and (d) ecosystem services. This series of articles elucidates the lens of ecosystem services and presents a brief analysis of the impact of FiveBecomings projects through this lens, as well as how the FiveBecomings projects achieve this impact.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the Ecosystem Services Lens 

Origins and Task of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) was created through collaboration among governments, scientists, NGOs, and the private sector to assess how ecosystem change affects human wellbeing and to explore options for conservation and sustainable use. Its findings were designed, in part, to be used by international agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and others, while also informing governments, businesses, and civil society.

The MA supported the UN Millennium Development Goals and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development by mobilizing hundreds of scientists worldwide to clarify the state of ecosystems, highlight areas of agreement, and identify unresolved debates. Its framework gave decision-makers tools to (a) balance human development with ecological sustainability, (b) understand trade-offs between competing objectives, and (c) align responses at local, national, and global levels. This work laid the foundation for the concept of ecosystem services and their four categories, offering a way to link human wellbeing with the health of ecosystems.

Key Definitions by the MA

The MA provides clear definitions of certain key concepts to frame the relationship between ecosystems, the services they offer, and their role in supporting human wellbeing.^[9]

The Conceptual Framework of the MA

The conceptual framework used by the MA has several salient features. It places human wellbeing at the center, while also recognizing the value of ecosystems and biodiversity. It emphasizes the dynamic relationship between people and ecosystems: human actions directly and indirectly drive ecosystem change, while ecosystem changes in turn affect human wellbeing. Furthermore, social, economic, and natural factors outside the environment also shape both ecosystems and human conditions.

The conceptual framework of the MA highlights the vital link between ecosystem services and human wellbeing, considering the full range of ecosystems — from relatively untouched forests to intensively managed agricultural and urban systems. To capture these complex interactions, in its analyses, the MA used a multiscale approach, reflecting how decisions at local, national, and global levels influence one another and produce different impacts across regions and communities.

Consistent with the ecosystem approach endorsed by the Convention on Biological Diversity, the conceptual framework of the MA promotes the integrated management of land, water, and living resources. This approach aims to balance three goals: conservation, sustainable use, and fair sharing of benefits. It acknowledges that ecosystems are structured by both biological and cultural diversity, and that humans are integral components of these systems.

Ecosystems and Their Services as Defined by the MA

According to the MA, an ecosystem is a dynamic system made up of plants, animals, microorganisms, and their nonliving environment functioning as a unit, with humans being an inseparable part of it. Ecosystems generate a wide range of benefits, which the MA refers to collectively as ecosystem services. These are grouped into four main categories:

• Provisioning services: the products people obtain from ecosystems, such as food, fresh water, fuel, fiber, and genetic resources.
• Regulating services: the benefits people obtain from the regulation of ecosystem processes, including climate regulation, water purification, human disease regulation, erosion control, and maintenance of air quality.
• Cultural services: nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems through cognitive development, reflection, spiritual enrichment, recreation, and aesthetic experiences.
• Supporting services: services necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services, such as soil formation, oxygen production, and primary production.

Although economists often separate “goods” and “services,” the MA treats them together as ecosystem services, since the distinction is not always clear and cultural or intangible values can otherwise be overlooked. Over time, various ways of classifying these services have been proposed through functional, organizational, or descriptive groupings. However, for operational clarity, the MA framework relies on the four broad categories described above. 

Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity

The MA emphasizes that biodiversity and ecosystems are inseparably linked. Biodiversity refers to the variability of life across terrestrial, marine, and aquatic systems, encompassing diversity within species, between species, and across ecosystems. This diversity forms a fundamental structural feature of ecosystems, while the variability among ecosystems themselves is also an expression of biodiversity.

Biodiversity underpins many ecosystem services by providing essential products, such as food, genetic resources, and raw materials. Shifts or losses in biodiversity can disrupt the availability and quality of these services, influencing not only provisioning but also regulating, supporting, and cultural services. Furthermore, biodiversity carries intrinsic value, independent of its direct benefits to humans, representing the inherent worth of the diversity of life.

In this framing, the MA underscores that ecosystems and biodiversity together sustain human wellbeing at local, regional, and global levels. By ensuring the material basis of life, enabling good health, social relations, security, and freedom of choice, they directly contribute to poverty reduction and human development. Thus, the MA conceptual framework sees ecosystem services and biodiversity as mutually reinforcing dynamic components of Earth’s life-support system, while placing human wellbeing at the center of their assessment and management.

[1] K. Mitra, Restoring the Interconnected Wellbeing of Humans and Ecologies Through FiveBecomings, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh082025-010 (26 Aug., 2025).

[2] S. Mukherjee & K. Mitra, Ecosymbiotic Self-Reliance: Fulfilling Basic Needs from Ecowebs, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh092025-010 (11 Sep., 2025).

[3] K. Mitra, Ecological Webs (Ecowebs): Collaborative Creativity Through Adaptation Feedback Loops, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh092025-006 (3 Sep., 2025).

[4] K. Mitra, Ādi-Knowtep and Their Importance in Ecosymbiotic Resilience of Human Communities, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh092025-008 (4 Sep., 2025).

[5] K. Mitra, Individual Ecoself and Community Ecoself: Importance in FiveBecomings, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh092025-011 (10 Sep., 2025).

[6] S. Mukherjee & K. Mitra, The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Lens: Understanding FiveBecomings Project Impact, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh082025-014 (12 Sep., 2025).

[7] S. Mukherjee & K. Mitra, The Human Rights Lens: Understanding FiveBecomings Project Impact, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh082025-012 (29 Aug., 2025).

[8] S. Mukherjee & K. Mitra, The Climate Resilience/Stabilization Lens: Understanding FiveBecomings Project Impact, Ecosymbionts all Regenerate Together (EaRTh): DOI-EaRTh082025-011 (11 Sep., 2025).

[9] Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, Ecosystems and Human Well-being: A Framework for Assessment, Island Press (2003).