WRI Stories Feed: Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems (PAGE)

EPA Partners With WRI to Heighten Awareness of Ecosystem Services

Paul Mackie — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:13:15 -0400

The World Resources Institute (WRI) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a collaboration to deliver improved science and practical tools to help companies and governments protect ecosystems and address climate change.

“This is an important collaboration in bringing research on ecosystem services into the mainstream of science, business and public policy,” said Rick Linthurst, national program director of the EPA’s Ecological Research Program.

WRI’s ecosystem services brochure

Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from forests, wetlands, and other ecosystems. A forest, for example, not only provides wood for timber and paper but also controls erosion, purifies water, stores carbon dioxide, and offers recreation.

The partnership will bring a greater recognition and understanding of the importance of ecosystems to economic development and human well-being. It will also help planners better determine development options that allow affected natural resources to continue to produce services that meet the needs of current and future generations. Craig Hanson, acting director of WRI’s People and Ecosystems Program, added, “This collaboration will link EPA’s quality scientific research on ecosystem services with WRI’s work to help private- and public-sector leaders make the connection between healthy ecosystems and the attainment of their economic goals. This partnership will make our Corporate Ecosystem Services Review, mapping of ecosystem services, and economic valuation efforts even more powerful.” Businesses, local and state governments, researchers, and international organizations - which are increasingly retooling their environmental-management systems to address ecosystem services - will benefit from the partnership. As part of the collaboration, Dr. Suzanne Marcy, lead for outreach and education in the Ecological Research Program of the EPA’s Office of Research and Development, will be based at WRI’s headquarters. She will focus on linking emerging scientific data about the health and economic value of ecosystem services with WRI’s various projects on water quality, biofuels, coral reefs, and business sustainability, among others.

In addition, WRI’s research will inform the EPA Ecological Research Program’s initiatives in the Coastal Carolinas, the Willamette Valley in Oregon, Tampa Bay, the upper-Midwest, and the Southwest.

High Economic Values Placed on Coral Reefs in Tobago and St. Lucia

Paul Mackie — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Direct annual economic benefits of tourism and fisheries resulting from coral reefs amounts to US$94 million in St. Lucia and US$44 million in Tobago. Those numbers amount to 11 percent and 15 percent of those Caribbean islands’ yearly gross-domestic product.

“The health of Tobago’s reefs is vital to the island’s tourism product,” said Cmdre. Anthony Franklin, director of the Institute of Marine Affairs. “Tourists and local residents should benefit greatly in the future because of the advances these economic baseline findings could provide towards smart policies.”

The findings were announced here today along with the release of the full study, Coastal Capital - Economic Valuation of Coral Reefs in Tobago and St. Lucia, by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Buccoo Reef Trust (BRT), the Institute of Marine Affairs, the Government of St. Lucia, and many others.

“Hopefully, knowing the economic value of the reefs will help policymakers develop and manage these beautiful and beneficial coastal areas with caution and care,” said Lauretta Burke, senior associate at WRI and lead author of the study, which puts dollar values on tourism, fisheries, and shoreline protection provided by reefs.

“Reef-valuation numbers arm government officials with powerful information they can use to make educated policy. They also provide the public and other interested parties with something they can use to push officials to make smart policies,” added Dr. Owen Day, director of the BRT.

Coral Reefs in Tobago

In Tobago, more than half of tourists dive, snorkel, or take a glass-bottom boat to the Buccoo Reef. Reef-associated tourism in Tobago contributes an estimated US$43 million in direct expenditure, such as food, lodgings, and ocean-related recreation. Two estimates not captured within the Tobago economy were also determined. One, the annual value of local residents’ use of the reefs and coralline beaches is estimated between US$13 million and US$44 million. Two, the additional satisfaction derived by participants above what they paid for dive and snorkel trips is estimated at US$1 million.

In St. Lucia, more than one-quarter of tourists dive or snorkel during their visits. The direct economic impact from reef-associated tourist expenditure was more than US$91 million last year. In addition, the annual value of local residents’ use of the reefs and coralline beaches is estimated between US$52 million and US$109 million. Additional satisfaction derived by participants above what they paid for dive and snorkel trips is estimated at US$2.3 million.

Fishery activity impacted by coral reefs have a much smaller economic impact, but provide other important benefits such as jobs, cultural value, and a safety net of food, especially during difficult economic time periods. The annual direct economic impact of coral reef-associated fisheries is estimated between US$700,000 and $US1.1 million for Tobago and US$400,000 to US$700,000 for St. Lucia.

Tobago, which is about 26 miles long and six miles wide, has coral reefs that protect nearly 50 percent of its shoreline. The annual value in 2007 of shoreline-protection services provided by coral reefs - in potentially avoided damages - is estimated to be between US$18 million and $US33 million.

St. Lucia, which is about 30 miles long and 14 miles wide, has coral reefs that protect 44 percent of its shoreline. The annual value in 2007 of shoreline-protection services provided by coral reefs - in potentially avoided damages - is estimated to be between US$28 million and $US50 million.

Funding for this project came from the MacArthur Foundation, the United Nations Environment Program - Caribbean Environment Program, the Ocean Foundation, the Henry Foundation, the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SwedBio, the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN), and the Buccoo Reef Trust.

Immigration Linked to Degraded Ecosystem

Karen Bennett — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:12:19 -0500

Border security is not typically recognized as being tied to environmental changes, but in this recent article by The New York Times, the links are clear. It details how declining fish catches in northwest Africa are fueling immigration to Europe.

With fish populations in northwest Africa collapsing, regional economies are struggling and local populations are finding themselves without one of their staple foods. That means more people are willing to take greater risks by migrating for a fresh beginning in a new country.

Fishers with their catch

People everywhere depend on nature—that is, ecosystem services—for their well-being. Yet many of these services are in a state of decline. In fact, according to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, nearly 2/3 of ecosystem services are in worse shape than they were a half-century ago. The bottom line of this finding? Nature’s benefits can no longer be taken for granted. According to the Times article, fish populations in Senegal and from other parts of the region were once abundant enough to support livelihoods. But now, families find they are barely scraping by. Major fish stocks are dwindling because of fishing by local boats as well as international fleets, including from the European Union, China, and Russia. This crash in natural resources is encouraging northwest African nationals to attempt migration to more abundant societies. In 2007, about 31,000 Africans attempted to flee to the Canary Islands, which serve as a gateway to Europe. Of these, 6,000 disappeared or died.

WRI’s Mainstreaming Ecosystem Services Initiative brochure–download

Northwest African governments, lured by the promise of money from international trawlers and economic growth, have driven one of their most important natural resources to depletion. European officials, on the other hand, saw that their own fish resources were depleted decades ago and arranged deals to harvest the seas of northwestern Africa. In both cases, decision makers did not realize that many of their decisions both depend on and impact the ecosystem services nature provides.

In northwest Africa, new government policies to attract international fishing fleets in the hopes of payments and economic growth were dependent on wild fish stocks remaining abundant. Likewise, decisions by European officials to exploit fishing grounds in Africa had unforeseen consequences because the ecosystem service was degraded. Motivated by hopes of economic growth and cheap food for their populations, European nations are instead faced with floods of undocumented immigrants. Recognizing the links between ecosystem services and development goals can help us protect ecosystems from development. Perhaps even more importantly, we need to consider how to invest in managing ecosystems for development. WRI is working to solve problems exactly like these in northwest Africa through our recently launched Mainstreaming Ecosystem Services Initiative. Download our brochure: What Are Ecosystems Doing For You? Mainstreaming Ecosystem Services Initiative