Experiences in ecosystem & natural capital accounting Glenn Marie Lange Earth Institute at the Columbia University

Long-term involvement in natural capital accounting in Africa Natural Resource Accounting in East and Southern Africa, established in 1995 Global Initiative for Environmental Accounting

Natural Resource Accounting in East and Southern Africa Includes Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, and more recently, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia Accounting initiative based on the capital approach to development Capital Approach: development is about managing a portfolio of assets (produced, natural, human) rather than monitoring annual flows of income The objective is to develop Macroeconomic indicators of sustainability such as Total Wealth including Natural Capital and Adjusted Net Saving Detailed statistics for resource management

Accounts focused on individual resources rather than ecosystems Minerals—Fisheries—Water—Forestry—Livestock— Wildlife—Energy Very little work was done on Ecosystem accounting Some Land accounting in Namibia The South African forest accounts included some ecosystem services –Carbon storage –Pollination services through protection of the habitat of wild bees –Environmental disamenity: reduction of rainfall runoff by non- native tree species High-value services NOT yet included: Tourism and recreation

Global Initiative for Environmental Accounting A new initiative within the Earth Institute that specifically focuses on ecosystem accounting –Water Accounting for IWRM –Economic Valuation of the Okavango Delta Ramsar Site –Environmental Accounting for Marine & Coastal Ecosystem of Zanzibar

Economic Valuation of the Okavango Delta Ramsar Site, 2006 Okavango Delta Management Plan: attempt to include all economic values generated by the wetland –Fish, plants, agriculture –Tourism & recreation, mostly non-consumptive –Ecosystem services Carbon sequestration, the largest value Groundwater recharge Water purification Wildlife refuge

Land zones in the Okavango Delta Ramsar Site Okavango

Use values for the Okavango Delta

NATURAL CAPITAL ACCOUNTING Asset value of Okavango based on –Scenarios about future provision of ecosystem services from alternative land use –Estimation of resource rent But results are not very reliable because of poor economic data

Environmental Accounting for Marine & Coastal Ecosystems: A Tool to Promote Conservation in Zanzibar,

Applying EEA Approach Land & Land use accounts from aerial photo GIS Ecosystem dimension: Stocks& flows of ecosystem components Indicators of health, integrity Economic dimension Tourism & related activities Fishing & related activities Seaweed farming Mangrove forest products Stocks & flows, population, tourist arrivals, etc.

Land Cover & Use LAND COVER: 13 classes –On-shore, above high-tide line, 5 classes –Inter-tidal zone from high-tide to coral reefs, 5 classes –Coral reefs & off-shore, 3 but likely to be increased LAND USE: 17 classes –Human settlements, 7 classes –Fishing related activities, 6 classes –Hotels & tourism activities, 4 classes –Other uses including ecosystem uses

Ecosystem dimension Fish stocks & catch Coral stocks and health Mangrove forests stocks & harvest Seagrass beds Additional indicators, such as Changing balance of fish groups, eg, decline of top predators Beach erosion Volume & quality of freshwater use for tourism Coastal water quality, nutrient loading

Economic Accounts Economic value & physical indicators for Fishing, gleaning, mariculture, fish processing, boat building fish marketing, Tourism: Hotels & restaurants, diving & snorkeling, visits to mangrove park, dolphin viewing, etc. Mangrove harvesting Capital stocks, infrastructure Population Tourist arrivals & expenditure, etc.

Thank you!