Natural capital accounting perspectives:a pragmatic way forward

Introduction:Recent debates surrounding the application of natural capital accounting(NCA)have produced several approaches to further develop this system,as well as highlighted a number of conceptual and methodological issues that need to be resolved before mainstreaming NCA into policy and decision making.We argue that prolonged debate over the value concepts(i.e.,exchange versus other values)underpinning different modifications to NCA has slowed progress in experimentation and uptake by policymakers.Outcomes:Consequently we propose three broad approaches which can be progressed in parallel to reinvigorate experimentation with the NCA principles and practice,while at the same time generating policy relevant tools and evidence bases for decision support.The three approaches are;extended SNA accounting anchored to the use of exchange values;a complementary accounts network(CAN)that utilizes plural values as supplementary accounts to the SNA system;and wealth accounting that focuses on measures of welfare and wellbeing.The three approaches are complementary and data developed in any one can inform the other two.Conclusions:We contend that CAN offers the most flexibility and opportunities to progress short term support for decision making on environmental issues which are now becoming urgent.

Capturing the value of biosurveillance“big data”through natural capital accounting

Global biodiversity is in crises.Recognition of the scale and pace of biodiversity loss is leading to rapid technological development in biodiversity science to identify species,their interactions,and eco-system dynamics.National and international policy developments to stimulate mitigation and remediation actions are escalating to meet the biodiversity crises.They can take advantage of biosurveil-lance“big data”as evidence for more sweeping and impactful policy measures.The critical factor is translating biosurveillance data into the value-based frameworks underpinning new policy measures.An approach to this integration process,using natural capital accounting frameworks is developed.

Natural capital accounting in Xi＇an City of western China during 1995-2011

As one of the most important metropolitan areas in China, Xi＇an City plays a leading role in the development of the western regions. To impede the decision and policy prefer- ences for environmental and ecological factors, this paper took account of the natural capital depletion of Xi＇an City during 1995-2011, considered in terms of constant 1990 price levels. The results are as follows. （1） Natural capital depletion in Xi＇an City consistently increased from1995 to 2011, increasing from 14.31x108 yuan to 42.28x108 yuan, with an average an- nual growth rate of 12.22%. The primary component of natural capital depletion in Xi＇an City was the cost associated with fossil fuel resource depletion, while the cost associated with ecological services contributed the least to the total cost. （2） During 1995-2011, the proportion of natural capital depletion to Xi＇an City in Yanta and Lianhu districts dropped, whereas in counties such as Gaoling County, Chang＇an District and Lintong District, it increased. In 2011, the proportion of natural capital depletion varied between the different counties： Yanta District （15.75%）, Weiyang District and Lianhu District （10%-15%）, Huxian County, Xincheng District, Beiling District, Chang＇an District, Baqiao District, and Gaoling County （5%-10%）, and in Lintong District, Lantian County, Zhouzhi County and Yanliang District, it was 〈5%. （3） The spatial pattern of natural capital depletion varied with different perspectives, for example, from a total value perspective, a nuclear pattern around the administrative center of Xi＇an City was evident, whereas from a density per capita of natural capital depletion perspective, a bi-nuclear spatial distribution visible in 1995 had become a poly-nuclear distribution by 2011. Conversely, from a density per hectare perspective, a ＂core-edge＂ pattern characterized by three circles was observed. （4） The natural capital depletion relative to GDP curve was in accordance with the environmental Kuznets curve, while the proportion of natural capital de- pletion to GDP was the highest in circle III and the lowest in circle I.

Household Energy Demand and Its Impact on the Ecological Capital of Nech Sar National Park, Ethiopia

Household energy demand is among the prime problems that cause deforestation. The use of fuel wood in the developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America is be-lieved to play a key role for the razing of forests and the degradation of associated biodiversity and other land resources. High population growth, increased energy demand, urbanization, infrastructure development, etc. are among the factors that exacerbate the current rate of deforestation in Ethiopia. This growing demand is also posing a threat to the remaining natural capital and associated wildlife of the country’s national parks. NechSar national park, a jewel in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia is not in different to this threat. The issue is calling for an urgent interference in the provision of environment friendly energy sources, afforestation programmes, raising the level of awareness on climate change, etc. This study is therefore, aimed at exploring the level of household energy demand interference on the woody vegetation of NechSar Park and promoting the use of environment friendly and energy saving technologies in the vicinity of the park area and beyond.

Land Use/Cover and Naturalness Changes for Watershed Environmental Management(Southeastern Brazil)

Driving forces on the landscape require regional management and/or local actions, together with other external factors. To operationalize this approach, this paper carried out a comparative analysis of the naturalness dynamics of the Jacaré-Gua&#231u and Jacaré-Pepira watershed, based on land use/cover changes and a structural indicator of the landscape, over the 10-year (2004-2014), as support opportunities for improving its environmental planning and management. Land use/cover dynamics were obtained based on screen digitizing of LandSat imagery, using polygon manual digitalization. Naturalness scenarios of the watersheds, over the 10-year (2004-2014), were obtained based on Urbanity Indicator, which evaluates how much the natural landscapes are dominated by altered systems. The total area of watersheds showed a predominantly scenario, induced by anthropogenic agricultural and non-agricultural expansion areas, mainly by conversion of other land use/cover types in sugarcane cultivation. Despite the increase in natural vegetation areas, over the 10-year (2004-2014), Jacaré-Gua&#231u and Jacaré-Pepira watersheds are far from a sustainable condition. However Jacaré-Gua&#231u watershed presents a scenario of more committed naturalness due to the increase in Urbanity Index values ≥ 0.7. The historical process of land use occupation for agricultural production remains the main driving force of naturalness changes, occupying more than 70% of the total area of watersheds. These results have significant implications for fast urbanizing municipalities in providing key information about long term land use impact on the watershed structure and function, making it possible for policy makers, scientists and stakeholders to identify land uses which are hindered or enhanced under various scenarios of land use change over the time, and making it possible to explore the trade-offs between them to improve watershed management.

Environmental rehabilitation of damaged land

Background:Much land is subject to damage by construction,development and exploitation with consequent loss of environmental function and services.How might the loss be recovered?Results:This article develops principles of environmental rehabilitation.Key issues include the following.Rehabilitation means restoring the previous condition.Whether or not to restore is not a technical but a value judgement.It is subject to adopting the sustainability ethic.If the ethic is followed under rule of law then rehabilitation must be done always to’the high standard’which means handing down unimpaired environmental function and no extra land management.The elements of the former condition that it is intended to restore must be specified.Restoring these in any given case is the purpose of that rehabilitation project.The specified restoration elements must be easily measurable with a few simple powerful metrics.Some land damage is not fixable so restraint must be exercised in what construction,development and exploitation are permitted.If sustainability is adopted then cost benefit analysis is not a valid form of project appraisal because trading off present benefits against future losses relies on subjectively decided discount rates,and because natural capital is hard to price,indispensable,irreplaceable and non-substitutable.Elements often to be restored include agricultural land capability,landscape form and environmental function.Land capability is a widely used convention and,with landscape form,encapsulate many key land factors,and are easily measurable.Restoring soil and thereby environmental function provides the necessary base for an ecological pyramid.Conclusions:The need for rehabilitation is not to be justified by cost-benefit or scientific and technological proof,but rests on a value judgement to sustain natural capital for present and future generations.Decision on what activities and projects to permit should be based on what is physically and financially fixable on current knowledge.Business and government must be proactive,develop rehabilitation standards,work out how to meet the standards,design simple powerful metrics to measure performance against the standards,embark on continuous improvement,and report.

Urban Forest Digital Cadastre

Urban forests being part of the Natural Capital,they provide goods and services for humans,the ecosystem services that are necessary for their survival.Over recent years,the importance of ecosystem services within urban landscapes has grown steadily.Determining the amount and the value of the ecosystem services provided by the Urban Forest is the main goal of the“Digital Green Cadastre”(DGC),a project in progress of survey,classification and mapping of the urban,agricultural and natural green assets.The DGC records the types of green cover and soil characteristics and utilizes the calculation of the total leaf area for the quantitative analysis of the botanical heritage,environmental performance and ecosystem benefits,such as water runoff management,air pollutant removal and urban heat island reduction.The case study of Abbiategrasso-a small town in Italy-is reported.

Oceans and COVID-19:Perspectives,Reflections,Recovery and Regulatory Frameworks

COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented public health crisis,taken about 1.4 million lives so far,infected almost 70 million people around the world,battered the global economy and paralyzed the normal activity.This situation is evolving so rapidly that the data on numbers of infections and deaths are changing daily and the economic impacts are difficult to evaluate at this stage and probably will not be exactly known in the near future.It is important to determine the genesis of the outbreak to understand the root causes of COVID-19 and to prevent such pandemics from occurring in the future.It is believed that the virus originated in a seafood market in Wuhan(China)that was also trading in wildlife for human consumption.Such practices are associated with the habitat degradation and biodiversity loss,leading to an imbalance of the natural ecosystems.The zoonotic spillover of this infectious outbreak is a reflection of the impairment of natural systems.Scientific and anecdotal evidences demonstrate the significance of marine critical habitats in combating and containing human diseases.There are many other ways in which the oceans can help in human health.In addition to providing an analysis of the COVID-19 outbreak,this paper also suggests knowledge-based and informed measures that need to be applied to prevent a repeat of such catastrophic events while highlighting the role of oceans in this context.Plans and strategies for recovering the global economy and ensuring its resilience will require incorporating nature-based solutions and ecosystem restoration.The sustainability of the ocean is a key consideration in the development of a framework for post-COVID-19 recovery and this aspect is the major focus of this paper.

Valuation of Forest Ecosystem Services and Benefit Sharing:A Case Study of Qingdao City, China

The forest ecosystem goods and services and the natural capital stocks that produce them make great contribution to national economy and human welfare both directly and indirectly. This paper evaluates the economic value of natural capital stock and the annual output flow of forest ecosystem goods and services taking Qingdao City and its eight districts as case study. The results of the valuation study showed, that the stock value of forest natural capital of Qingdao was RMB 13.46 billion at the end of 2007. The flow value of annual output of forest ecosystem goods and services of Qingdao was RMB 26.76 billion which amounted to 7.07% of its GDP of 2007. However, the share of forest goods and services actually included in its GDP of 2007, in accordance with the current national accounting system, was only 0.71%. Among the annual flows the value of intangible forest ecosystem services alone accounted for 70.90% of total flows which was 2.44 times the value of forest material goods. These non- market forest benefits mainly contributed to the non-forestry sectors of the economy and to the social groups who did not own and manage the forests. Extensive policy implications were analyzed as per the results of the forest valuation study.

Adjusted macroeconomic indicators to account for ecosystem degradation:an illustrative example

Adjusting macroeconomic indicators to account for the depletion and degradation of natural capital has long been viewed as a way to show the linkages between nature and the economy and foster more sustainable paths of development.Here,we show how the System of Environmental Economic Accounting(SEEA)Experimental Ecosystem Accounting(EEA)can be used to develop environmentally adjusted macroeconomic indicators.More specifically,we show how an enlargement of the production boundary to include the consideration of ecosystems as institutional units allows the development of a net value added metric that reflects depreciation and degradation of the natural capital assets.This measurement could be useful for policymaking:the linkage of ecosystem services to economic activities allows us to account for loss,repair and substitution of natural capital,and thus helps us to formulate and monitor environmental policies.