 |
|
TEEB report released on the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity for policy makers
November 16, 2009Policy makers who factor the planet's multi-trillion dollar ecosystem services into their national and international investment strategies are likely to see far higher rates of return and stronger economic growth in the 21st century, a new report issued today says.
Some countries have already made the link to a limited extent and are glimpsing benefits in terms of jobs, livelihoods and economic returns that outstrip those wedded to older economic models of the previous century.
* In Venezuela, investment in the national protected area system is preventing sedimentation that otherwise could reduce farm earnings by around $3.5 million a year (Pabon-Zamora et al. 2008).
* Planting and protecting nearly 12,000 hectares of mangroves in Vietnam costs just over $1 million but saved annual expenditures on dyke maintenance of well over $7 million (Tallis et al. 2008).
* One in 40 jobs in Europe are now linked with the environment and ecosystem services ranging from clean tech 'eco-industries' to organic agriculture, sustainable forestry and eco-tourism.
* Investment in the protection of Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve is generating an annual of income of close to $50 million a year, has generated 7,000 jobs and boosted local family incomes (CBD 2008).
The new report, prepared by The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) initiative hosted by the UN Environment Programme, calls on policy-makers to accelerate, scale-up and embed investments in the management and restoration of ecosystems.
It also calls for more sophisticated cost benefit analysis before policy decisions are made. The report cites a study on mangroves in south Thailand on the conversion of mangroves into shrimp farms.
Subsidized commercial shrimp farms can generate returns of around $1,220 per hectare by clearing mangrove forests. But this does not take into account the losses to local communities totaling over $12,000 a hectare linked with wood and non-wood forest products, fisheries and coastal protection services (Barbier 2007).
Nor does the profit to the commercial operators take into account the costs of rehabilitating the abandoned sites after five years of exploitation-estimated at over $9,000 a hectare.
The report outlines a ten-point plan aimed at catalyzing a transition to more ecosystem savvy economies able to meet the multiple challenges and deliver the multiple opportunities on a planet of six billion people, rising to nine billion by 2050.
Speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Friday 13 November, Pavan Sukhdev, TEEB's Study Leader, said: "Nature's multiple and complex values have direct economic impacts on human well being and public and private spending. Recognizing and rewarding the value delivered to society by the natural environment must become a policy priority.
The economic invisibility of ecosystems and biodiversity is increased by our dominant economic model, which is consumption-led, production-driven, and GDP-measured. This model is in need of significant reform. The multiple crises we are experiencing - fuel, food, finance, and the economy - serve as reminders of the need for change.
It is now up to governments to provide fiscal or other incentives to move us from short-term opportunism to long term stewardship. The right policies can help us move toward a resource efficient economy."
The report comes in advance of the UN climate convention meeting in Copenhagen where governments are expected to give the green light to funding developing countries to maintain forests.
Close to 20 per cent of current global greenhouse gas emissions are linked with deforestation. Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) aims to counter this while also generating financial flows from North to South.
REDD and REDD+, which includes not only maintaining forests but planting and recovering forest systems, secured the backing of close 15 presidents and prime ministers at a special meeting hosted last month by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said: "Paying developing countries under REDD marks a fundamental step forward in terms of bringing the huge financial importance of ecosystems and biodiversity into the centre of economic activity."
"It could open the door to more creative and forward looking funds and mechanisms covering other nature-based infrastructure such as peatlands and wetlands en route to support for the services generated by coastal and marine ecosystems such as coral reefs to mangroves," he said.
The report has a number of key recommendations for policy makers to consider:
1. Invest in ecological infrastructure: This can provide cost-effective opportunities to increase resilience to climate change, reduce risk from natural hazards, improve food and water security, and contribute to poverty alleviation. Up-front investments in maintenance and conservation are almost always cheaper than trying to restore damaged ecosystems, and the social benefits that flow from restoration can be several times higher than the costs. Preliminary TEEB estimates suggest that the potential rates of return can reach 40% for mangrove and woodlands/shrublands, 50% for tropical forests and 79% for grasslands when the multiple ecosystems services are taken into account.
2. Reward benefits through payments and markets: Payments for ecosystem services (PES schemes) from local (e.g. water provisioning) to global (the REDD-Plus proposal for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, as well as from afforestation, reforestation, and effective conservation).
3. Reform environmentally harmful subsidies: reforming subsidies that are inefficient, outdated or harmful makes double sense during a time of economic and ecological crisis.
4. Address losses through regulation and pricing: The cost of losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services should be tackled through regulatory frameworks that establish environmental standards and liability regimes. Designing a robust instrumental and market framework to confront resource users with these costs is a key priority for policy makers.
5. Recognize that protected areas are a cornerstone of conservation policies and provide multiple benefits: The global PA network covers around 13.9% of the Earth's land surface, 5.9% of territorial seas, and only 0.5% of the high seas: nearly a sixth of the world's population depends on protected areas for a significant percentage of their livelihoods. Investing $45 billion in protected areas could secure vital nature-based services worth some $5 trillion a year, including the sequestration of carbon, the protection and enhancement of water resources and protection against flooding (Balmford et al. 2002). There are also employment incentives for example, in Bolivia protected-area tourism generates over 20,000 jobs, indirectly supporting over 100,000 people (Pabon-Zamora et al. 2009)
The TEEB study shows that benefits of reform are multiple. It also reinforces the growing evidence that there are a number of urgent strategic ecosystem priorities that require policy shifts to address them:
6. Halt deforestation and forest degradation: This should be an integral part of climate change mitigation and adaptation focused on 'green carbon'. It has the added benefit of preserving the huge range of services and goods forests provide to local people and the wider community;
7. Protect tropical coral reefs - and the associated livelihoods of half a billion people - through major efforts to avoid global temperature rise;
8. Save and restore global fisheries, which are currently under threat of collapse from over fishing;
9. Recognize the deep link between ecosystem degradation and the persistence of rural poverty and align policies across sectors with key Millennium Development Goals.
10. Agree a forest carbon deal at Copenhagen
Over 100 experts from science, economics and policy from across the globe have been involved in the research, analysis and writing of the TEEB for Policy Makers report, which has been co-ordinated by Patrick ten Brink of the Institute of European Environmental Policy in Brussels.
TEEB is an independent study, lead by Pavan Sukhdev, hosted by United Nations Environment Programme with financial support from the European Commission; Germany, UK and the Netherlands, and recently joined by Norway and Sweden.
TEEB for policy makers is one of a series of five interconnected reports. These include the Report on Ecological and Economic Foundations (parts of which were published online in September 2009) and targeted end-user outputs for local and regional administrators, business and citizens. These will be released in the coming months until the final TEEB synthesis report in October 2010. Work is also taking place to analyze a large number of economic values for the main types of ecosystem services around the world and these findings will also be available in 2010. Further information is at www.teebweb.org.
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
* Planting and protecting nearly 12,000 hectares of mangroves in Vietnam costs just over $1 million but saved annual expenditures on dyke maintenance of well over $7 million (Tallis et al. 2008).
* One in 40 jobs in Europe are now linked with the environment and ecosystem services ranging from clean tech 'eco-industries' to organic agriculture, sustainable forestry and eco-tourism.
* Investment in the protection of Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve is generating an annual of income of close to $50 million a year, has generated 7,000 jobs and boosted local family incomes (CBD 2008).
The new report, prepared by The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) initiative hosted by the UN Environment Programme, calls on policy-makers to accelerate, scale-up and embed investments in the management and restoration of ecosystems.
It also calls for more sophisticated cost benefit analysis before policy decisions are made. The report cites a study on mangroves in south Thailand on the conversion of mangroves into shrimp farms.
Subsidized commercial shrimp farms can generate returns of around $1,220 per hectare by clearing mangrove forests. But this does not take into account the losses to local communities totaling over $12,000 a hectare linked with wood and non-wood forest products, fisheries and coastal protection services (Barbier 2007).
Nor does the profit to the commercial operators take into account the costs of rehabilitating the abandoned sites after five years of exploitation-estimated at over $9,000 a hectare.
The report outlines a ten-point plan aimed at catalyzing a transition to more ecosystem savvy economies able to meet the multiple challenges and deliver the multiple opportunities on a planet of six billion people, rising to nine billion by 2050.
Speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Friday 13 November, Pavan Sukhdev, TEEB's Study Leader, said: "Nature's multiple and complex values have direct economic impacts on human well being and public and private spending. Recognizing and rewarding the value delivered to society by the natural environment must become a policy priority.
The economic invisibility of ecosystems and biodiversity is increased by our dominant economic model, which is consumption-led, production-driven, and GDP-measured. This model is in need of significant reform. The multiple crises we are experiencing - fuel, food, finance, and the economy - serve as reminders of the need for change.
It is now up to governments to provide fiscal or other incentives to move us from short-term opportunism to long term stewardship. The right policies can help us move toward a resource efficient economy."
The report comes in advance of the UN climate convention meeting in Copenhagen where governments are expected to give the green light to funding developing countries to maintain forests.
Close to 20 per cent of current global greenhouse gas emissions are linked with deforestation. Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) aims to counter this while also generating financial flows from North to South.
REDD and REDD+, which includes not only maintaining forests but planting and recovering forest systems, secured the backing of close 15 presidents and prime ministers at a special meeting hosted last month by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said: "Paying developing countries under REDD marks a fundamental step forward in terms of bringing the huge financial importance of ecosystems and biodiversity into the centre of economic activity."
"It could open the door to more creative and forward looking funds and mechanisms covering other nature-based infrastructure such as peatlands and wetlands en route to support for the services generated by coastal and marine ecosystems such as coral reefs to mangroves," he said.
The report has a number of key recommendations for policy makers to consider:
1. Invest in ecological infrastructure: This can provide cost-effective opportunities to increase resilience to climate change, reduce risk from natural hazards, improve food and water security, and contribute to poverty alleviation. Up-front investments in maintenance and conservation are almost always cheaper than trying to restore damaged ecosystems, and the social benefits that flow from restoration can be several times higher than the costs. Preliminary TEEB estimates suggest that the potential rates of return can reach 40% for mangrove and woodlands/shrublands, 50% for tropical forests and 79% for grasslands when the multiple ecosystems services are taken into account.
2. Reward benefits through payments and markets: Payments for ecosystem services (PES schemes) from local (e.g. water provisioning) to global (the REDD-Plus proposal for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, as well as from afforestation, reforestation, and effective conservation).
3. Reform environmentally harmful subsidies: reforming subsidies that are inefficient, outdated or harmful makes double sense during a time of economic and ecological crisis.
4. Address losses through regulation and pricing: The cost of losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services should be tackled through regulatory frameworks that establish environmental standards and liability regimes. Designing a robust instrumental and market framework to confront resource users with these costs is a key priority for policy makers.
5. Recognize that protected areas are a cornerstone of conservation policies and provide multiple benefits: The global PA network covers around 13.9% of the Earth's land surface, 5.9% of territorial seas, and only 0.5% of the high seas: nearly a sixth of the world's population depends on protected areas for a significant percentage of their livelihoods. Investing $45 billion in protected areas could secure vital nature-based services worth some $5 trillion a year, including the sequestration of carbon, the protection and enhancement of water resources and protection against flooding (Balmford et al. 2002). There are also employment incentives for example, in Bolivia protected-area tourism generates over 20,000 jobs, indirectly supporting over 100,000 people (Pabon-Zamora et al. 2009)
The TEEB study shows that benefits of reform are multiple. It also reinforces the growing evidence that there are a number of urgent strategic ecosystem priorities that require policy shifts to address them:
6. Halt deforestation and forest degradation: This should be an integral part of climate change mitigation and adaptation focused on 'green carbon'. It has the added benefit of preserving the huge range of services and goods forests provide to local people and the wider community;
7. Protect tropical coral reefs - and the associated livelihoods of half a billion people - through major efforts to avoid global temperature rise;
8. Save and restore global fisheries, which are currently under threat of collapse from over fishing;
9. Recognize the deep link between ecosystem degradation and the persistence of rural poverty and align policies across sectors with key Millennium Development Goals.
10. Agree a forest carbon deal at Copenhagen
Over 100 experts from science, economics and policy from across the globe have been involved in the research, analysis and writing of the TEEB for Policy Makers report, which has been co-ordinated by Patrick ten Brink of the Institute of European Environmental Policy in Brussels.
TEEB is an independent study, lead by Pavan Sukhdev, hosted by United Nations Environment Programme with financial support from the European Commission; Germany, UK and the Netherlands, and recently joined by Norway and Sweden.
TEEB for policy makers is one of a series of five interconnected reports. These include the Report on Ecological and Economic Foundations (parts of which were published online in September 2009) and targeted end-user outputs for local and regional administrators, business and citizens. These will be released in the coming months until the final TEEB synthesis report in October 2010. Work is also taking place to analyze a large number of economic values for the main types of ecosystem services around the world and these findings will also be available in 2010. Further information is at www.teebweb.org.
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Ecosystems Current Events and Ecosystems News RSSYes, ecology shapes evolution, but guppies show reverse also true
In the natural stream communities of Trinidad, guppy populations live close together, but evolve differently. Upstream, fewer predators mean more guppies but less food for each; they grow slowly and larger, reproduce later and less, and die older.
Aznalcóllar disaster compared with Cretaceous mass extinction
Researchers from the University of Granada (UGR) have compared the disaster caused by the Aznalcóllar spillage in the Doñana National Park in Andalusia 11 years ago with the biggest species extinction known to date.
UF researchers: Ancient crocodile relative likely food source for Titanoboa
A 60-million-year-old relative of crocodiles described this week by University of Florida researchers in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology was likely a food source for Titanoboa, the largest snake the world has ever known.
Engineers explore environmental concerns of nanotechnology
As researchers around the world hasten to employ nanotechnology to improve production methods for applications that range from manufacturing materials to creating new pharmaceutical drugs, a separate but equally compelling challenge exists.
Are new genes always better?
Re-vegetation seems like a beneficial strategy for conserving and restoring damaged ecosystems, and using a variety of species can help increase biodiversity in these systems.
Managing ecosystems in a changing climate
Global warming may impair the ability of ecosystems to perform vital services-such as providing food, clean water and carbon sequestration-says the nation's largest organization of ecological scientists.
Genetic analysis disputes increase in Antarctic minke whales
A new genetic analysis of Antarctic minke whales concludes that population of these smaller baleen whales have not increased as a result of the intensive hunting of other larger whales -- countering arguments by advocates of commercial whaling who want to "cull" minke whales.
Parks and recreation programs declining as obesity, health concerns rise
One way to help address the epidemic of obesity in the United States is improved access to pleasant hiking trails and an ambitious parks and recreation program, a recent study suggests, but programs such as this are increasingly being reduced in many states due to budget shortfalls.
Wilder weather exerts a stronger influence on biodiversity than steadily changing conditions
An increase in the variability of local conditions could do more to harm biodiversity than slower shifts in climate, a new study has found.
Scientists find amazing new pondlife on nature reserve
One year in to a project to save one of the UK's top sites for pondlife, amazing new species are being revealed for the first time.
More Ecosystems Current Events and Ecosystems News Articles
 |
Ecosystems (Ecology & the Environment) by Angela Wagner (Author) Study biotic and abiotic Ecosystems presented in a way that makes it more accessible to students and easier to understand. Discover the difference between Producers, Consumers and Decomposers. Look at evolving populations, change in Ecosystems, Food Chains and Webs. Understand what and why we classify what is Photosynthesis and how the water cycle interacts with man to microorganisms. An ecosystem is a group of things that work and live together in an environment. Our resource provides ready-to-use information and activities for remedial students using simplified language and vocabulary. Ready to use reading passages, student activities and overhead transparencies, our resource is effective for a whole-class, small group and independent work. |
 |
Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology by F. Stuart Chapin III (Author), Harold A. Mooney (Author), Melissa C. Chapin (Author), Pamela Matson (Illustrator) Outlines the central processes that characterize terrestrial ecosystems, tracing the flow of water, carbon, and nutrients from their abiotic origins to their cycles through plants, animals, and decomposer organisms. Softcover. |
 |
Biomes and Ecosystems (Gareth Stevens Vital Science: Earth Science) by Barbara J. Davis (Author) |
 |
Earth's Ecosystems (Planet Earth) by Jim Pipe (Author) |
 |
Que Son Las Redes Y Cadenas Alimentarias? What are Food Chains and Webs? (La Ciencia De Los Seres Vivos/Science of Living Things (Spanish)) (Spanish Edition) by Bobbie Kalman (Author), Jacqueline Langille (Author) This work is for ages 6-12. The text is in Spanish. Sunlight does not go very deep into water so seaweed must grow at the surface where its rays can reach them. Starting with the sun, food chains link together plants and animals in various ecosystems to help them survive. This book describes these connections in a clear manner that children will understand. Fascinating diagrams show children: the connection between herbivores, carnivores, scavengers, decomposers, and themselves; concepts such as energy pyramids, photosynthesis, and consumer hierarchies; an entertaining food web game. |
 |
Aquascape - EcoSystems EcoCarbon - Activated Charcoal - 9 lbs by Aquascape EcoCarbon - Safely clear tea colored pond water. Activated Carbon is highly effective at removing dissolved organics from the pond water, such as stains and discoloration caused by leaves and organic debris. Activated Carbon is is also an effective method to remove the build up of harmful chlorine and chloramines caused by city tap water. If foaming is a problem, it is because of excess organics in the water. This carbon will remove these organics. Browse through our TJB-INC Amazon Store for more Aquascape items. |
 |
Exploring Ecosystems With Max Axiom, Super Scientist (Graphic Science) by Agniesezka Biskup (Author) THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Follows the adventures of Max Axiom as he explains the science behind ecosystems. |
 |
Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems by Michael Begon (Author), Colin R. Townsend (Author), John L. Harper (Author) Begon, Townsend and Harper’s Ecology has long been regarded as the definitive textbook on all aspects of ecology. This new edition continues to provide a comprehensive treatment of the subject from the first principles of ecology to a vivid reflection of our understanding of ecology in the 21st century. Thoroughly revised and updated, this fourth edition includes: three new chapters on applied ecology, reflecting a rigorous, scientific approach to the ecological problems now facing mankind discussion of over 750 new studies, updating the text throughout an updated, user-friendly design with margin notes and chapter summaries that serve as study aids dedicated website The resulting textbook is easy to use, lucid and up-to-date, and is the essential reference for all... |
 |
America's Wetlands: Guide to Plants and Animals (America's Ecosystems) by Marianne D. Wallace (Author) A fun exploration of one of the most interesting eco-systems in the North America. With delightful full-color illustrations and lively descriptions to help in identifying wetland types (swamp, marsh, or pond), plants, and animals, America’s Wetlands becomes an enjoyable family learning experience. *Learn to distinguish animal tracks and sign |
 |
What Is a Biome? (The Science of Living Things) by Bobbie Kalman (Author) This title contains a book & CD-ROM. Earth has over 30 types of biomes, some of which are home to thousands of ecosystems. All of the plants and animals living in these huge natural areas depend on one another for survival. Children will love learning about life in each major biome. This CD-ROM has an approximate running time: 30 minutes. |
| © 2010 BrightSurf.com |