Appendix: Me hodological oolbox
Tool no. 3_5_2
Ti le
Conse a ion and Human Use Index (CHUI)
Ca ego y
Socio-cul u al/En i onmen al/Spa ial (mul i-dimensional ool
in eg a ing En i onmen , Go e nance and Socio-cul u al ca ego ies)
Pu pose o he me hod
The CHUI iden i ies and quan i ies in e ac ions, con lic s, and
syne gies be ween biodi e si y conse a ion and human use o
coas al ecosys ems. I measu es ecological alues, ecosys em
se ices, p essu es, go e nance e ec i eness, and social
pe cep ions o suppo e idence-based managemen and policy
decisions.
E o in ime
E o in ime depends on oolbox app oach:
• Desk-based assessmen : ~3 hou s (indi idual expe )
• Combined desk-based assessmen by s akeholde s: ~3 days
(including compila ion)
• Facili a ed ocus g oup: ~1 ull day (6–8 hou s)
• Combined app oach: 1–2 days (desk p epa a ion + g oup
acili a ion)
Numbe o objec s
in es iga ed
133 manda o y ques ions ac oss ou main dimensions (a.Na u al
Values & Ecosys em Se ices, b. Th ea s & P essu es, c.
Go e nance, d. Social Pe cep ions). Addi ional 19 op ional
backg ound ques ions p o ide con ex
Da a o ma
Excel ile - Nume ical (0–3 sco ing scale), quali a i e (s akeholde
pe cep ions), ex ual (backg ound desc ip ions), and g aphical
(colou -coded g ading, Excel ou pu s).
Desc ip ion
The Conse a ion & Human Use Index (CHUI) was de eloped as a
deli e able unde he HORIZON p ojec PRO-COAST, i led A
PROac i e app oach o COmmuni ies o enAble Socie al
T ans o ma ion (2023-2026).
The CHUI is a mul i-pa ame e assessmen ool designed o iden i y
and ack con lic s be ween biodi e si y conse a ion and
ecosys em se ice o e exploi a ion. I applies he SESF app oach o
analyse en i onmen al, go e nance, and social dimensions in Case
S udy (CS) a eas, p o iding aluable insigh be ween human-
en i onmen in e ac ions.
The index enables conse a ion p ac i ione s, local au ho i ies, CS
leade s, and s akeholde s o conduc a s uc u ed and apid
assessmen o s eng hs and weaknesses in go e nance, ecological
condi ions, and socie al in e ac ions wi hin a gi en a ea. I s
pa icipa o y and lexible na u e allows o use ac oss a wide ange
o se ings and suppo s collabo a i e, in o med decision-making.
The ool is designed o pe iodic use, pa icula ly when e alua ing
he e ec i eness o pas managemen e o s o iden i ying new
challenges.
CHUI is ully documen ed in he CHUI Manual (2025), which
p o ides s ep-by-s ep guidance, and is implemen ed h ough an
Excel-based applica ion ha au oma es sco ing, gene a es colou -
coded ou pu s, and p oduces ailo ed na a i e in e p e a ions.
Toge he , hese esou ces make he CHUI p ac ical and adap able,
suppo ing use in desk e iews, s akeholde su eys, and acili a ed
wo kshops, and enabling manage s and s akeholde s o iden i y
con lic s, moni o p og ess o e ime, and guide conse a ion and
policy esponses.
Basic Li e a u e
• I anić, K-Z., S ol on, S., Figue oa A ango, C. and Dudley, N.,
2020. P o ec ed A eas Bene i s Assessmen Tool + (PA-BAT+): A
ool o assess local s akeholde pe cep ions o he low o
bene i s om p o ec ed a eas. Gland, Swi ze land: IUCN.
h ps://doi.o g/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2020.PATRS.4.en
• Jones, N., G aziano, M., & Dimi akopoulos, P. G. (2020). Social
impac s o Eu opean P o ec ed A eas and policy
ecommenda ions. En i onmen al Science & Policy, 112, 134–
140. h ps://doi.o g/10.1016/j.en sci.2020.06.016
• Mahajan, S. L., Obiene, S., Ojwang, L., Olwe o, N., Valdi ia, A.,
Wosu, A., Ad id, E., And adi-B own, D. A., And iamalala, G., &
Ban, N. C. (2023). In oducing Elino o moni o ing he
go e nance and managemen o a ea-based conse a ion.
Conse a ion Biology, 38(2), e14213.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1111/cobi.14213
• Os om, E. (2009). A gene al amewo k o analyzing
sus ainabili y o social-ecological sys ems. Science, 325(5939),
419–422.
• Vayanou, Ph., Geo giou, P., Kounnamas, C. (2025).
Conse a ion & Human Use Index. Unde PRO-COAST: A
PROac i e app oach o COmmuni ies o enAble Socie al
T ans o ma ion (2023–2026).
Con ac pe son wi hin he
p ojec
Phoebe Vayanou – Resea ch Associa e, Na u e Conse a ion Uni o
F ede ick Uni e si y, Cyp us.
Email: es. p@ ede ick.ac.cy
Panagio is Geo giou – Resea ch Associa e, Na u e Conse a ion
Uni o F ede ick Uni e si y, Cyp us.
Email: es.pge@ ede ick.ac.cy
Cons an inos Kounnamas – Head o Na u e Conse a ion Uni o
F ede ick Uni e si y, Cyp us.
Email: es.kc@ ede ick.ac.cy
Linked ma e ial
• Conse a ion_HumanUse_Index_ 10
• Conse a ion&HumanUse Index_Manual_ 1
