Connecting Earth Observation EO4EA Connecting Earth Observation and Ecosystem Accounting Prof. dr Lars Hein On behalf of the EO4EA Steering Committee

The System of Environmental Economic Accounting The SEEA is part of the System of National Accounts. National Accounts are used world-wide to produce economic statistics, but do not properly cover ecosystem resources. SEEA ecosystem accounting is a new framework to account for ecosystem assets and ecosystem services. It is being applied in ~20 countries, and has been endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission, FAO, World Bank and OECD.

Ecosystem accounting comprises: Core accounts Ecosystem extent; Ecosystem condition; Ecosystem services supply and use; Monetary ecosystem assets Thematic accounts Land account Water account Carbon account and Biodiversity account Source figures: UNSD

Ecosystem assets are analyzed in terms of: Extent (types of ecosystems) Condition (the state of the ecosystems) Monetary value of the flow of ecosystem services now and in the future Condition: tree canopy (source: USGS) Extent: reflecting land cover, land use and ecosystem types (source: USGS)

Ecosystem services are analyzed : In terms of supply and use; Using physical and monetary indicators Supply and Use (physical) Physical data Supply and use (monetary) Monetary data

Ecosystem accounting requires Statistical data, e.g. Crop production Timber production Spatial data, e.g. Soils Water table Air quality Earth Observation derived data, e.g. Land cover NPP Flooding Multiple datasets and models per service

Ecotourism in Palawan (Philippines) Palawan is an important ecotourism destination but land use change affects ecosystems The ecosystem accounts show the profits made because of the presence of these ecosystems

Remote sensing technologies and EA EO is crucial for EA – including in developing countries: In many cases there are no alternative ways to obtain the datasets required for EA Cost-effective, near-instant monitoring greatly enhances policy applicability Higher accuracy by combining remote sensing information with survey data Rice production in the Mekong But further steps are needed: Further model development, at high resolution Managing data volumes Integration with statistics Connecting EO and EA communities Transplanting Tillering Booting Flowering Milking Ripening Rice

Further information Secretariat EO4EA Conservation International 2011 Crystal Dr. #500 Arlington VA For further info on EO4EA: Daniel Juhn (Conservation International) - djuhn@conservation.org For further info on SEEA: Lars Hein (Wageningen University, NLs) - lars.hein@wur.nl Supported by