1. "Living Beyond Our Means: Natural Assets and Human Well-Being" Bob Watson MA Board Co-chair Chief Scientist, World Bank University of Washington May 3, 2007

2. a

3. Indirect Drivers of Change Direct Drivers of Change
MA Framework
Human Well-being and
Poverty Reduction
Basic material for a good life
Health
Good Social Relations
Security
Freedom of choice and action
Indirect Drivers of Change
Demographic
Economic (globalization, trade, market and policy framework)
Sociopolitical (governance and institutional framework)
Science and Technology
Cultural and Religious
Direct
Drivers
Indirect
Ecosystem
Services
Human
Well-being
Direct Drivers of Change
Changes in land use
Species introduction or removal
Technology adaptation and use
External inputs (e.g., irrigation)
Resource consumption
Climate change
Natural physical and biological drivers (e.g., volcanoes)

4. Consequences of Ecosystem Change for Human Well-being

5. Ecosystem Services
Everyone in the world depends on nature and ecosystem services to provide the conditions for a decent, healthy, and secure life

6. Unprecedented Change
Humans have made unprecedented changes to ecosystems in recent decades to meet growing demands for food, fresh water, fiber, and energy
These changes have helped to improve the lives of billions, but at the same time they weakened nature’s ability to deliver other key services such as purification of air and water, protection from disasters, and the provision of medicines
The pressures on ecosystems will increase globally in coming decades unless human attitudes and actions change

7. Status of Provisioning Services
Food
crops 
livestock
capture fisheries 
aquaculture
wild foods
Fiber
timber
+/–
cotton, silk
wood fuel
Genetic resources
Biochemicals, medicines
Fresh water

8. Status of Regulating and Cultural Services
Regulating Services
Air quality regulation 
Climate regulation – global 
Climate regulation – regional and local
Water regulation
+/–
Erosion regulation
Water purification and waste treatment
Disease regulation
Pest regulation
Pollination
Natural hazard regulation
Cultural Services
Spiritual and religious values
Aesthetic values
Recreation and ecotourism

9. Changes to ecosystems have provided substantial benefits
Food production has more than doubled since 1960
Food production per capita has grown
Food price has fallen
Over the past 40 years, globally, intensification of cultivated systems has been the primary source (almost 80%) of increased output. But some countries, predominantly found in Sub-Saharan Africa, have had persistently low levels of productivity, and continue to rely on expansion of cultivated area. in sub-Saharan Africa, however, yield increases accounted for only 34% of growth in production

10. Unprecedented change: Ecosystems
5-10% of the area of five biomes was converted between 1950 and 1990
More than two thirds of the area of two biomes and more than half of the area of four others had been converted by 1990

11. Key Problems
Among the outstanding problems identified by this assessment are the dire state of many of the world’s fish stocks; the intense vulnerability of the 2 billion people living in dry regions to the loss of ecosystem services, including water supply; and the growing threat to ecosystems from climate change and nutrient pollution.

12. Marine fish harvest declining since the late 1980s
Capture Fisheries
25% of commercially exploited marine fish stocks are overharvested (high certainty)
Marine fish harvest declining since the late 1980s
Trophic level of fish captured is declining in marine and freshwater systems

13. Water
5 to possibly 25% of global freshwater use exceeds long-term accessible supplies (low to medium certainty)
% of irrigation withdrawals exceed supply rates and are therefore unsustainable (low to medium certainty)

14. Significant and largely irreversible changes to species diversity
The distribution of species on Earth is becoming more homogenous
The population size or range (or both) of the majority of species across a range of taxonomic groups is declining
More homogenous: in other words, the set of species in any one region of the world are becoming more similar to other region. largely as a result of the massive movement of species associated with increased travel and shipping.
Growth in Number of Marine Species Introductions in North America and Europe

15. Species extinctions
Human activities have taken the planet to the edge of a massive wave of species extinctions, further threatening our own well-being

16. Regulating Services Natural hazard regulation
The capacity of ecosystems to buffer from extreme events has been reduced through loss of wetlands, forests, mangroves
People increasingly occupying regions exposed to extreme events

17. Degradation of ecosystem services often causes significant harm to human well-being
Degradation tends to lead to the loss of non-marketed benefits from ecosystems
The economic value of these benefits is often high and sometimes higher than the marketed benefits
Timber and fuelwood generally accounted for less than a third of total economic value of forests in eight Mediterranean countries.

18. Degradation of ecosystem services often causes significant harm to human well-being
The total economic value associated with managing ecosystems more sustainably is often higher than the value associated with conversion
Conversion may still occur because private economic benefits are often greater for the converted system

19. MA Scenarios Not predictions – scenarios are plausible futures
Both quantitative models and qualitative analysis used in scenario development

20. Examples of changes in policies and practices that yield positive outcomes
Global Orchestration
Major investments in public goods (e.g., education, infrastructure) and poverty reduction
Trade barriers and distorting subsidies eliminated
Adapting Mosaic
Widespread use of active adaptive management
Investment in education (countries spend 13% of GDP on education, compared to 3.5% today)
TechnoGarden
Significant investment in development of technologies to increase efficiency of use of ecosystem services
Widespread use of ‘payments for ecosystem services’ and development of market mechanisms

21. Direct drivers growing in intensity

22. Changes in direct drivers
Changes in crop land and forest area under MA Scenarios
Forest Area
Crop Land

23. Changes in ecosystem services under MA Scenarios
Demand for food crops is projected to grow by 70–85% by 2050, and water withdrawals by 30-85%
Food security is not achieved by 2050, and child undernutrition would be difficult to eradicate (and is projected to increase in some regions in some MA scenarios)
Globally, the equilibrium number of plant species is projected to be reduced by roughly 10–15% as the result of habitat loss over the period of 1970 to 2050 (low certainty)
Child undernourishment in 2050 under MA Scenarios

24. Changes in human well-being under MA scenarios
In three of the four MA scenarios, between three and five of the components of well-being (material needs, health, security, social relations, freedom) improve between 2000 and 2050
In one scenario (Order from Strength) conditions are projected to decline, particularly in developing countries

25. Improvements in services can be achieved by 2050
Three of the four scenarios show that significant changes in policy can partially mitigate the negative consequences of growing pressures on ecosystems, although the changes required are large and not currently under way

26. What can we do about it?
Change the economic background to decision-making
Make sure the value of all ecosystem services, not just those bought and sold in the market, are taken into account when making decisions
Remove subsidies to agriculture, fisheries, and energy that cause harm to people and the environment
Introduce payments to landowners in return for managing their lands in ways that protect ecosystem services, such as water quality and carbon storage, that are of value to society
Establish market mechanisms to reduce nutrient releases and carbon emissions in the most cost-effective way

27. What can we do about it? Improve policy, planning, and management
Integrate decision-making between different departments and sectors, as well as international institutions, to ensure that policies are focused on protection of ecosystems
Include sound management of ecosystem services in all regional planning decisions and in the poverty reduction strategies being prepared by many developing countries
Empower marginalized groups to influence decisions affecting ecosystem services, and recognize in law local communities’ ownership of natural resources
Establish additional protected areas, particularly in marine systems, and provide greater financial and management support to those that already exist
Use all relevant forms of knowledge and information about ecosystems in decision-making, including the knowledge of local and indigenous groups

28. What can we do about it? Influence individual behavior
Provide public education on why and how to reduce consumption of threatened ecosystem services
Establish reliable certification systems to give people the choice to buy sustainably harvested products
Give people access to information about ecosystems and decisions affecting their services
Develop and use environment-friendly technology
Invest in agricultural science and technology aimed at increasing food production with minimal harmful trade-offs
Restore degraded ecosystems
Promote technologies to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

29. What can we do about it – energy and climate change
A long-term stable global regulatory framework with differentiated responsibilities is needed to transition to a low-carbon economy
A new financial instrument for carbon financing is needed which blends public and private sector financing, provides up-front capital, and can be used for both commercial and pre-commercial technologies
Quick wins – e.g., end-use efficiency, rehabilitation of inefficient thermal power plants, renewable energy
Long-term – e.g., commercialization of IGCC-CCS, advanced bio-energy, fuel-cell cars
Market continuity and the transformation of the market towards a sectoral/programmatic approach rather than a project-based approach is needed prior to a post-2012 agreement

30. What can we do about it – agriculture
Agriculture policies can no longer externalize the costs of agricultural and food production without great economic, environmental and social risks
Meeting the sustainability and development goals of reducing hunger and poverty, improving rural livelihoods and human health, and equitable, socially, environmentally and economically sustainable development, requires placing increased importance on the multiple functions of agriculture, i.e.,
production of food and fiber;
provision of ecosystem services, and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity; and
provision of livelihoods (income, health, nutrition, etc) and supporting the quality of rural life
A multifunctional approach to agriculture involves:
implementing and developing  tools that diversify farming systems;
building natural capital and social sustainability by developing agricultural policy and practices in the context of social and environmental sustainability, resources and constraints;
contributing to the mitigation of climate change; and
investing in AKST on the basis of multifunctional parameters

31. Synergies Across Issues
The issues addressed through the international environmental conventions, i.e., UNFCCC, CBD, CCD, Ramsar and CMS, are all inter-related, hence there is a critical need to develop joint work programs among the Conventions
Indentify synergies and trade-offs among issues
Sectoral agencies within individual nations should also integrate their activities – too many stovepipes

32. The bottom line
We are spending Earth’s natural capital, putting such strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted 
The degradation of ecosystem services could grow significantly worse during the first half of this century and would be a barrier to achieving the Millennium Development Goals
At the same time, the assessment shows that the future really is in our hands.  We can reverse the degradation of many ecosystem services over the next 50 years, but the changes in policy and practice required are substantial and not currently underway

33. Visit the MA Website www.MAweb.org
All MA reports available to download
Access to core data
MA ‘outreach’ kit
Slides
Communication tools