Helen Ding

Environmental Economist

Bio

Helen Ding is an Environmental Economist with the Economics Center at the World Resources Institute. Her work primarily focuses on terrestrial ecosystems and involves the development of economic models to measure and demonstrate the socio-economic value of natural resources for better government and business decision-making. At WRI, she works as a cross-programmatic economist to support the analysis and development of practical tools in Programs across the Institute. Amongst others, Helen contributes to Land and Resource Rights Initiative and develops studies that demonstrate the essential economic benefits of land tenure security in developing countries. She also supports Global Restoration Initiative to ensure the consistency and robustness of economic analyses undertaken in different geographies where WRI work. In addition, Helen supports the Land Use work of the New Climate Economy project, and works closely with Aqueduct Projects, Finance and Business Centers and WRI China office on a few topic areas, including sustainable water pricing, economic efficiency of water resources redistribution, economic assessment of biodiversity and ecosystems, valuation and accounting of natural capital risks for business and financial institutions, and economic costs of air pollution on health and employment.

Prior to joining WRI, Helen was a senior economist at Deloitte Sustainability Service in Paris and the deputy leader of Deloitte’s Natural Capital Community of Practice for Europe and Asia. In her capacity, she led projects related to resource economics and natural capital, and contributed to the technical development of the Natural Capital Protocol under the leadership of the WBCSD. Prior to that, Helen gained considerable research experience in market and nonmarket valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and socio-economic impact assessment of climate change and biodiversity policy through her various appointments in several leading environmental economics research institutes in the EU. Among her professional achievements, Helen‘s PhD research on the “Economic Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being” received UNECE/FAO PhD Thesis Award in 2011 for recognizing its significant contribution to the "Sustainable Forest Management in the UNECE region”.

Helen holds a PhD degree in Science and Management of Climate Change from Italy, a MSc in Environmental Sciences with specialization in Environmental Economics and Natural Resources from the Netherlands, and a BA in Economics and Finance from China. Helen is an active global traveler and has country experiences in Africa, Asia, Central & South America, Europe, Pacific islands and USA.

Blogs

4 Investments to Secure Ocean Health and Wealth
by Mansi Konar, Helen Ding and Kristian Teleki - July 13, 2020
New analysis commissioned by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy shows that every $1 invested in sustainable ocean solutions yields at least $5 in return. A sustainable ocean economy can help the world build back better in the wake of COVID-19, improve ocean health and benefit the more than 3 billion people who rely on the ocean.
4 Investment Areas to Stimulate China's Economy After COVID-19
by Helen Ding and Wee Kean Fong - April 28, 2020
Investing in sustainable infrastructure for areas such as renewable energy and electric cars can help China’s economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis.
6 Barriers to Protecting and Restoring Forests – and Strategies to Overcome Them
by Craig Hanson, Frances Seymour, Rohini Chaturvedi and Helen Ding - November 07, 2019
Forests help stabilize the climate and generate income, food and energy. We have plenty of evidence about what works to conserve and restore them. So why haven’t such measures been adopted at scale?
Restoration: One of the Most Overlooked Opportunities for Economic Growth
by Helen Ding, Sofia Faruqi, Caroline Gagné and Andrés Anchondo Ortega - December 19, 2017
While restoring degraded landscapes yields $7-$30 for every $1 invested, it still isn't receiving the funding it needs. That's where governments come in.
Brazil’s Proposed Environmental Laws Would Weaken Indigenous Rights, Forfeit Billions in Economic Benefits
by Helen Ding, Rachel Biderman and Sophie Boehm - December 23, 2016
Grappling with Brazil's longest recession since the 1930s, government officials are under enormous pressure to combat rising unemployment, address corruption and control inflation. Yet two recent bills designed to solve the problem are misguided attempts that could degrade the environment, diminish human rights and hurt the economy.
How Do You Pick the Right Adaptation Strategy? 4 Tools Can Help
by Moushumi Chaudhury, Juan-Carlos Altamirano, Helen Ding and Erin Gray - December 15, 2016
There are a lot of ways for countries and communities to adapt to climate change. Choosing the right one can be tricky.
Protecting Indigenous Land Rights Makes Good Economic Sense
by Peter Veit and Helen Ding - October 07, 2016
Indigenous Peoples and other communities hold and manage 50 to 60 percent of the world's land, yet governments recognize only 10 percent as legally belonging to these groups. That's bad economic policy, shows a new WRI report.
3 Reasons Property Rights Are Essential for Healthy Ecosystems
by Helen Ding and Peter Veit - September 28, 2016
Giving people the legal right to own, use and sell land, water and other goods can actually lead to more sustainable resource use.
Indigenous Peoples and Communities Face Growing Barriers to Land Ownership
by Peter Veit and Helen Ding - September 15, 2016
Indigenous Peoples and other communities rely on their collectively held lands for food, water, livelihoods and well-being. Yet around the world, these groups face barriers to legally registering and titling these lands—and it’s getting worse.

Publications

Public-Sector Measures to Conserve and Restore Forests: Overcoming Economic and Political Economy Barriers
This working paper is a contribution to the FOLU 2019 report, Growing Better: Ten Critical Transitions to Transform Food and Land Use. The paper answers four questions:

Why are forests critical to economic development and human well-being?

What public sector measures could conserve and restore forests?

Why haven’t these public measures sufficiently worked at scale yet?

How can one overcome the economic and political economy barriers to these measures?

by Rohini Chaturvedi, Craig Hanson, Helen Ding and Frances Seymour - November 2019
publication
Topics: Forests
A Guide to Selecting Ecosystem Service Models for Decision-Making: Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa
This guide was developed for technical advisors to government officials, business people, investors, and others who need to draw on ecosystem assessments to inform decision-making. It assesses several types of ecosystem service modeling tool, discusses issues involved in modeling ecosystem services, and provides guidance on how to choose the right model to address a specific policy question. The guide outlined five steps to help decide which model to use in a particular decision-making context. It especially targets advisors and decision-makers in developing countries who are not experts in ecosystem service modeling and who have limited information and technical resources but must make decisions about natural resource management in relation to ecosystem services.

by Helen Ding and James M. Bullock - February 2018

publication
Topics: Food, Forests, Water, Economics
Geography: Sub-Saharan Africa
Roots of Prosperity: The Economics and Finance of Restoring Land
This report discusses the financial barriers and economic issues surrounding forest and landscape restoration. It encourages governments and practitioners to enact policies and financial mechanisms that will unlock capital and support restoration at scale.

by Helen Ding, Sofia Faruqi, Andrew Wu, Juan-Carlos Altamirano, Andrés Anchondo Ortega, René Zamora Cristales, Robin Chazdon, Walter Vergara and Michael Verdone - December 2017

publication
Topics: Finance, Forests, Economics
Climate Benefits, Tenure Costs
The Economic Case For Securing Indigenous Land Rights in the Amazon
by Helen Ding, Peter Veit, Erin Gray, Katie Reytar, Juan-Carlos Altamirano, Allen Blackman and Benjamin Hodgdon - October 2016

publication
Topics: Governance, Climate
Geography: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Latin America
The Economic Costs and Benefits of Securing Community Forest Tenure
Evidence From Brazil and Guatemala
Evidence is growing that tenure-secure community forests are associated with avoided deforestation and other ecosystem-service benefits. There are also economic and social benefits connected to communal management.
by Erin Gray, Peter Veit, Juan-Carlos Altamirano, Helen Ding, Piotr Rozwalka, Iván Zúñiga, Matthew Witkin, Fernanda Gabriela Borger, Andrea Lucchesi, Paula Carvalho Pereda and Keyi Ando Ussami - November 2015

publication
Topics: Forests, Economics
Geography: Brazil, Guatemala

External Publications

"Accounting for ecosystem services in business."
By Ding Helen.
Routledge Handbook of Ecosystem Services (2016): .

"Cost–benefit analysis of alternative land-use scenarios: A sustainability study for the Volcanic Central Talamanca Biological Corridor."
By Ding Helen, Chiabai Aline.
Climate Change Impacts on Tropical Forests in Central America: An Ecosystem Service Perspective (2015): 152-177.

"The economic assessment of changes in ecosystem services: and application of the CGE methodology."
By Ding Helen, Bosello Francesco, Eboli Fabio, Parrado Ramiro, Nunes Paulo A. L. D., Rosa Renato.
Economia Agraria y Recursos Naturales 11 (): .

"European Forests and Carbon Sequestration Services: An Economic Assessment of Climate Change Impacts."
By Ding Helen, Teelucksingh s, Pushpam Kumar, Woods Michael D.
Valuation of Regulating Services of Ecosystems: Methodology and Applications (): .

"Valuing climate change impacts on European forest ecosystems."
By Ding Helen, Chiabai Aline, Silvestri Silvia, Nunes Paulo A.L.D..
Ecosystem Services 18 (2016): 141-153 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2016.02.039.

"Modeling the links between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing in the context of climate change: Results from an econometric analysis of the European forest ecosystems."
By Ding Helen, Nunes Paulo A. L. D..
Ecological Economics 97 (2014): 60-73 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2013.11.004.

"The social dimension of biodiversity policy in the European Union: Valuing the benefits to vulnerable communities."
By Ding Helen, Ghermandi Andrea, Nunes Paulo A. L. D..
Environmental Science & Policy 33 (2013): 196-208 DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2013.06.004.

"Economic Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Services Losses: Cost of Policy Inaction."
By Ding Helen, Chiabai Aline, Travisi Chiara, Markandya Anil, Nunes Paulo A. L. D..
Environmental and Resource Economics 50 (2011): 405-445 DOI: 10.1007/s10640-011-9478-6.

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Helen Ding

4 Investments to Secure Ocean Health and Wealth

4 Investment Areas to Stimulate China's Economy After COVID-19

6 Barriers to Protecting and Restoring Forests – and Strategies to Overcome Them

Restoration: One of the Most Overlooked Opportunities for Economic Growth

Brazil’s Proposed Environmental Laws Would Weaken Indigenous Rights, Forfeit Billions in Economic Benefits

How Do You Pick the Right Adaptation Strategy? 4 Tools Can Help

Protecting Indigenous Land Rights Makes Good Economic Sense

3 Reasons Property Rights Are Essential for Healthy Ecosystems

Indigenous Peoples and Communities Face Growing Barriers to Land Ownership

Public-Sector Measures to Conserve and Restore Forests: Overcoming Economic and Political Economy Barriers

A Guide to Selecting Ecosystem Service Models for Decision-Making: Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa

Roots of Prosperity: The Economics and Finance of Restoring Land

Climate Benefits, Tenure Costs

The Economic Case For Securing Indigenous Land Rights in the Amazon

The Economic Costs and Benefits of Securing Community Forest Tenure

Evidence From Brazil and Guatemala

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The Economic Case For Securing Indigenous Land Rights in the Amazon

Evidence From Brazil and Guatemala

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