Stories: Mainstreaming Ecosystem Services Initiative (MESI)

During the winter holidays, there are many items that Americans consider “essential” as part of a proper celebration; whether it be a wreath on the door, wood for a cozy fire, or an ornamented tree in the living room. But how many people know where most of these items come from?

Ecosystem services provide the link between nature and economic development. How can this approach guide more sustainable decisions?

Last week at the UN Convention on Biodiversity, the World Bank launched a new program that aims to put a value on a country’s ecosystems in the same way a country measures its national income and product accounts, or GNP and GDP.

Nagoya delegates need to plan how the world achieves food security, before ecosystems reach critical tipping points.

To celebrate biodiversity, look no further than the forests of the Southern United States.

A new set of state-of-the art maps will help Uganda target livestock infrastructure investments and reduce poverty.

Leading companies are learning the value of ecosystems services, to the environment and to the bottom line.

The BP oil spill will degrade critical ecosystem services and their economic benefits for decades to come.

This week, governments will meet in Korea to decide whether to establish an intergovernmental panel on biodiversity services.

WRI’s Lauretta Burke discusses her work on measuring the economic value of coral reefs in the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean countries.