WAVES is now part of the broader World Bank umbrella initiative,  the  Global Program for Sustainability (GPS)
 
WAVES/GPS Newsletter, Issue 53, January 2020
Over 100 high-level participants from the natural capital accounting and landscape communities attended the fourth Forum on NCA for Better Policy held from 18 - 19 November 2019 in Kampala, Uganda
Dear colleagues, 

Happy New Year! We ended 2019 with an exciting `natural capital week' in Kampala, Uganda.

The week of Nov 18 was kicked off by a two-day  fourth Forum on Natural Capital Accounting for Better Policy  in Kampala on the theme - measuring and valuing natural capital for improved landscape management. It brought together over 100 high-level participants including government representatives as well as organizations working on Natural Capital Accounting (NCA), environmental-economic policy, and sustainable landscape management. The meeting explored options and potential benefits of bringing Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) and NCA closer together. 

The Forum was opened by Mr. Ephraim Kamuntu, Minister of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities of Uganda, who recognized the growing interest in the concept of NCA especially for Uganda. All the reports and presentations can be accessed   here

In another significant development, representatives from 18 African countries met during the same week for the first ' Africa Forum on Natural Capital Accounting '. Together, they committed to create a new Community of Practice on NCA in Africa. 

At the end of the week on November 22, Uganda launched the national plan for NCA and the first set of land and water accounts.

In December, Rwanda launched the Water, Mineral and Ecosystem accounts  at a national seminar attended by senior government officials. 

Karin Kemper, Senior Director, Environment and Natural Resources Global Practice at the World Bank wrote a blog on how we are incorporating biodiversity at the heart of IDA`s work.
Apurva Sanghi and Glenn-Marie Lange, economists at the World Bank,wrote a blog,  Is Russia Rich or Wealthy, contextualizing Russia's growth numbers released in theWorld Bank's latest  Russia Economic Report which measures, for the first time, the country's wealth from 2000-2017.

On behalf of the WAVES team, we look forward to continued partnerships in 2020!

The WAVES Team
Our News 
Biodiversity is often talked about through the lens of conservation and the survival of animal and plant species. But the value of a healthy biosphere is much more than that.
 
The Forum was held in Kampala on 18 and 19 November 2019 and it brought together over 100 high-level participants.
 
Representatives from 18 African countries met on November 21, 2019, for the first Africa Forum on Natural Capital Accounting' in Kampala, Uganda. 
 
Which would you rather be: rich or wealthy? And what exactly is the difference?
 
The Government of Uganda took a significant step in mainstreaming natural capital accounting by launching the national plan and the first set of land and water accounts for the country based on the SEEA. 
 
A motion supporting natural capital accounting and the SEEA for mainstreaming biodiversity values will be brought to the IUCN World Conservation Congress in June 2020 in Marseille, France.
 
WAVES Voices

" Uganda`s constitution requires us to promote and protect natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations. To do this, we need to know the value of our natural capital and the economic costs of its degradation. "  
 
 
- Ephraim Kamuntu, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities for Uganda 
New in the Knowledge Center
News from our Partners


This report presents the first natural capital accounts for the Dutch North Sea area according to the SEEA EEA framework. Natural capital accounts show the extent and condition of ecosystems of the North Sea. 

Following the decision by IUCN Members to adopt a universal definition of nature-based solutions (NbS) in 2016, IUCN has been working with key stakeholders in relevant sectors, such as water, food, development and humanitarian aid, encouraging them to systematically incorporate NbS into their decision-making processes.
Natural Capital Accounting in the News
Upcoming Events
February 13- 14 2020
Geneva, Switzerland
International partner organizations led by Yale's Schools of Forestry & Environmental Studies and Management and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) 
March 18- 20 2020
New Haven, USA






This n ewsletter  is published by the WAVES/GPS Communications Team. We welcome your submissions of news, events and publications at wavespartnership@worldbank.org