People & Ecosystems

WRI’s goal is to reverse rapid degradation of ecosystems and assure their capacity to provide humans with needed goods and services. Read more

Forests Poverty & Equity EcosystemServices SustainableBusiness &Markets EcosystemData, Maps & Tools Ecosystems and human well-being are inextricably linked. Human well-being has significantly improved over the last two centuries – the majority of people lead longer, healthier lives. Ecosystem goods and services – the benefits provided by nature like fresh water, clean air, fuel, food, medicine, and timber – have underpinned most of these improvements. However, three main problems threaten the ability of ecosystems to support human well-being:

The growing demand for ecosystem goods and services is placing unprecedented stress on ecosystems.
Governance at the local, regional, and global levels does not foster effective stewardship of ecosystem goods and services.
The benefits of ecosystems are not equitably distributed and the costs of ecosystem degradation are largely borne by the resource-dependent poor in rural areas.

To tackle these problems, WRI’s People & Ecosystems Program creates innovative, practical, and decision-relevant solutions that aim to halt and reverse ecosystem degradation while sustaining their capacity to provide humans with the goods and services we need.