The Implementation of Land and Ecosystem Accounts in Europe Towards integrated land and ecosystem accounting Roy Haines-Young, University of Nottingham & Jean-Louis Weber, European Environment Agency Ninth Biennial Conference of International Society for Ecological Economics On Ecological Sustainability and Human Well-Being December India Habitat Centre, New Delhi Technical Session 1: Modelling, Valuation and Evaluation Sub-Theme: Geographical Representations of Environmental Changes

Background and Overview There is a growing demand for spatially explicit indicators for to support policies for –nature, –regional development, –agriculture, –transport, –coastal management …

Background and Overview EEA has demonstrated that at European scales land accounts can be constructed in ways that are: –Conceptually robust –Capable of being maintained ‘operationally’; and –‘Fit for purpose’, in both the scientific and policy arenas The work also provides an important platform for future developments in relation to: –The construction of integrated ecosystem accounts –Making sustainability impact assessments –Modelling and scenario development

Part I: The Story so far..

Land Accounts and Sustainability

Accounting for Stocks & Flows

Land use accounts and Ecosystem accounts Land use accounts and Ecosystem accounts Basic land cover stocks and flows accounts

Data infrastructures CORINE Land Cover 1990 and 2000 Enables us to map stock and change… … and to construct stock and flow accounts …and to report them using a range of different geographical frameworks

Data infrastructures Smallest mapping unit for stock 25ha Change mapped at 5ha Smallest mapping unit for stock 25ha Change mapped at 5ha

The approach used to generate the LEAC record for stock

Stock and change A stock and change account for European land cover, 24 countries, Hierarchical classification of land cover, 44 classes at most detailed level Stocks 1990 & 2000, Formation and consumption of land cover, Net change and rates of Turnover

Summary indicators

From changes to flows LCF3 LCF1 LCF2 LCF5 LCF4 LCF7 LCF6 LCF8 Change Matrix (44x43=1932 possible changes) summarized into flows LCF9

Flow accounts A flow account describing processes of land cover change in Europe, 24 countries, A flow account describing processes of land cover change in Europe, 24 countries, Hierarchical classification of land cover, 44 classes at most detailed level Hierarchical classification of flows ~the processes of land cover change…

Artificial land uptake

Comparison of artificial land uptake by countries

Mapping flows Patterns of urban sprawl across Europe, 24 countries, , 1km x 1km grid Patterns of urban sprawl across Europe, 24 countries, , 1km x 1km grid

Mapping flows

Main change in land use by agriculture

Extension of forest territory by creation or removal of farming

Mapping flows Intensity of urban sprawl, , by NUTS 2/3 region; sprawl is now expressed on a unit area basis Intensity of urban sprawl, , by NUTS 2/3 region; sprawl is now expressed on a unit area basis

Mapping flows Data held on a standardised 1km x 1km Europe wide grid which enables construction of a different ‘zonal accounts’ including those for: Regions Biogeographical zones Mountain areas Coastal zones Major sea basins Dominant landscape types… Data held on a standardised 1km x 1km Europe wide grid which enables construction of a different ‘zonal accounts’ including those for: Regions Biogeographical zones Mountain areas Coastal zones Major sea basins Dominant landscape types… e.g Dominant Landscape Types

Part II: Platform for the future

Contribution to knowledge Land Cover Accounts provides a platform for: –Sustainable development and understanding patterns of change –Accounting for ecosystem goods and services (Ecosystem Assessment…) –Valuation of natural assets and environmental expenditures –Tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment (Targeted Accounts) –Platform for building scenarios and models

Accounting for Stocks & Flows Land use accounts and Ecosystem accounts Land use accounts and Ecosystem accounts The story so far…. The next steps….

CORE LAND COVER ACCOUNT Soil Flora & Fauna Water system Atmosphere/ Climate Land use economic & social functions Artificiality of land Intensity of use LAND & ECOSYSTEM ACCOUNTS Ecosystem services Ecosystem potentials Integrity, health & viability Vulnerability Production & Consumption Natural Assets Population Infrastructures & Technologies Land use and ecosystem accounting

Accounting for ecosystems: Conceptual Model Spatial analysis DP S IR Driving forces (production, consumption) Pressures State of environment Impacts of state on society, economy and ecosystems Responses Causation Framework

Stocks/ flows Assets & Values Goods & Services System Interactions, resilience Framework

Ecosystem accounting Stocks & flows –Spatial systems: land cover (units, zones, landscape types) river reaches, rivers, catchments coastal systems –Biomass, Productivity (NPP/NEP), Carbon Storage –Nutrients (N,P) –Water –Species –Other… System interactions Goods & Services Assets & Values  Basic ecosystem stock accounts

Ecosystem accounting Stocks & flows System interactions –Spatial interactions (ecotones, distributions, composition / scales) –Components interactions Spatial & temporal interactions (water stress, species dynamics…) Bio-chemical-physical cycles –Human interactions Re-structuring, over-harvesting/over- extraction, deposition of residuals and force-feeding, introduction of species – use of land and the natural capital Goods & Services Assets & Values  Functioning, health, resilience

Ecosystem accounting Stocks & flows System interactions Goods & Services –Land use functions –Ecosystem input to production (marketed or not) –End services to population (collective or individual) –Maintenance of the natural capital Assets & Values  Sustainability assessment

Ecosystem accounting Stocks & flows System interactions Goods & Services Assets & Values  Value of ecosystem goods and services, wealth, natural capital

Framework of Ecosystem Accounts Natural assets accounts Natural capital structure, resilience & wealth (physical units, by sectors) Capital consumption & accumulation (physical units, €) Ecosystem assets wealth (€) Natural Capital Accounts/ living & cycling natural capital Functions & Services Land use function Natural function Supply & use of ecosystem goods and services (Use of resource by sectors, supply to consumption & residuals, accumulation, I-O analysis) Material/energy flows (focus on biomass, water, nutrients, residuals) Accounts of flows of ecosystem goods and services Counts of stocks diversity / integrity (by ecosystem types, focus on quality) Ecosystem Stocks & State Accounts Ecosystem State (health diagnosis and wealth calculation) Core accounts of stocks & flows (by ecosystem types, raw quantities) Ecosystem types Economic sectors Spatial integration Economic integration

Platform for the future ~First steps

Integration of Environmental & Socio-Economic Data Land cover maps Area sampling (crops, habitats…) Socio-economic statistics (e.g. by regions, municipalities, sectors, farm holdings, household groups...) Monitoring of individual sites or stations (e.g. nature, water…) Earth observation: multi-scales land cover + vegetation + NPP +…

Land use functions & ecosystem goods and services

Conclusions “By examining all uses of land in an integrated manner, it makes it possible to minimize conflicts, to make the most efficient trade-offs and to link social and economic development with environmental protection and enhancement, thus helping to achieve the objectives of sustainable development.” Agenda 21, Chapter 10

NEW! Land accounts of Burkina Faso What happened within the protected area during the decade ? ANALYSIS OF PROTECTED PERIMETERS