Identifying Priorities through the Problem Structuring Method to Reduce the Dependencies on Ecosystem Services in Electricity Distribution

Idenificación de Prioridades Mediante Método de Estructuración de Problemas Para Reducir la Dependencia de los Servicios Ecosistémicos en la Distribución de Electricidad

Abstract

Electricity distribution is a fundamental activity for society. However, mitigating actions on risks and dependencies of this activity still need to be discovered concerning Ecosystem Services (ES). This fact can negatively influence its prosperity, especially in the long term. Within this context, this paper aims to identify actions that mitigate the risks and dependencies on ES associated with a company in the electricity sector in Brazil that performs electricity distribution services. The identification was based on the collection, analysis, and interpretation of stakeholders’ perceptions of the activity through an adaptation of the Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) problem structuring method. As a result, a structured vision of actions that mitigate ES risks and dependencies of electric power distribution, enabling management focused on the longevity of both the ES and the economic activity.

Keywords:
Ecosystem Services; Energy; Risk; Dependency; Problem Structuring