WAVES Newsletter, Issue 46, September 2017
Mangroves play a critical role in protecting people and property from the impacts of natural disasters.
(Photo: Stephane Bidouze/Shutterstock.com)
Dear Colleagues,

In the wake of powerful storms that devastated many communities in the Caribbean and the southern United States, the value of the protective services of ecosystems is becoming increasingly clear. WAVES and The Nature Conservancy are close collaborators on this topic. Guidelines on valuing the coastal benefits of mangroves are actively being put into practice in the Philippines - one of the countries most vulnerable to typhoons. Having identified where mangroves might provide the greatest protection benefits, the Government of the Philippines is better equipped to incorporate investments in mangroves into its national development policies. 

Other countries are also looking to natural capital accounting (NCA) to guide their decision-making. Dr. Kim Reuter of the Gaborone Declaration for Sustainability in Africa (GDSA) blogs about national-level work on NCA taking place in at least 21 countries in the region. Botswana is a leader in this regard, and in a strong position to share its lessons learned with its regional neighbors, and beyond. Portia Segemelo, WAVES Regional Advisor for Africa, describes the four pillars that have helped guide NCA efforts in her home country.

Encouragingly, countries with a wide range of experience with NCA - f rom Fiji and Australia to Liberia and the United Kingdom -  are making significant strides toward implementation, and strengthening the global knowledge base in the process. WAVES is delighted to share some of their results in our online Knowledge Center.  

Finally, in recognition of how quickly email inboxes can fill up, the WAVES team will be condensing its newsletter to a bi-monthly publication. Stay tuned for the next edition in November. 

Thanks, the WAVES team
News from the WAVES Partnership




Dr. Kim Reuter with the Gaborone Declaration on Sustainability in Africa blogs on NCA progress in the region, and its critical importance.

The WAVES program, The Nature Conservancy and others worked closely with the Philippines Government to assess the value of mangroves nationally.





NCA Advisor Portia Segomelo shares experiences from Botswana's natural capital accounting program.
New in the Knowledge Center
CHW Guatemala, WAVES, IARNA:

Subsoil: Valuing what lies beneath the surface


Scientific Reports:



WAVES:


Policy Brief: Valuing the Protection Services of Mangroves in the Philippines

News from our Partners

The Republic of Palau: Environment Statistics and SEEA - National Assessment Report
Palau released an assessment report identifying priorities for producing environmental statistics, particularly through the System of Environment-Economic Accounting (SEEA).

Experimental Energy Accounts for the Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia conducted an environment statistics assessment which identified energy as a priority area. Energy data was compiled for all four states, as well as at the national level.

Fiji's Experimental Accounts
The Fiji Bureau of Statistics, in collaboration with national stakeholders and international partners, released experimental environmental accounts for solid waste, energy and water.

Experimental Ecosystem Accounts for the Central Highlands of Victoria
Australian National University's Fenner School of Environment and Society released experimental ecosystem accounts for the Central Highlands region of Australia. The findings are published as a  full report with appendices, a summary report, and a  brief.

United Kingdom environmental accounts for 2017, and select ecosystem accounts
The UK Office for National Statistics released environmental accounts for 2017, and ecosystem accounts for  mountain, moorland and heathland, as well as for  freshwater, farmland and woodland.

Experimental Environmental-Economic Accounts for the Great Barrier Reef, 2017
The Australian Bureau of Statistics published environmental-economic data for the Great Barrier Reef, which provides benefits to people through the generation and use of ecosystem services. 

Liberia: Mapping Natural Capital
A  report by Conservation International offers baseline information on the extent, condition, and benefits that natural ecosystems provide to people and the economy of Liberia. 
WAVES Voices

"There is power in partnership. These studies [on how much coastal habitats help avert flood damages] arise from a unique collaboration between conservationists, lenders and the (re)insurance industry and was supported in part by Lloyd's and the World Bank, among others.

- Michael Beck, lead marine scientist for The Nature Conservancy, in an opinion article published by The Hill on September 19, 2017
Natural Capital Accounting in the News
Upcoming Events
The Wealth That Is Not Measured
The World Bank
October 11, 2017
Washington, D.C., USA
23rd Meeting of the London Group on Environmental Accounting
London Group on Environmental Accounting
October 17-20, 2017
San José, Costa Rica






Valuing Nature Annual Conference 2017
Valuing Nature
October 18-19, 2017
Edinburgh, Scotland
2nd WAVES Policy Forum on Natural Capital Accounting for Better Policy
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands
November 23-24, 2017
The Hague, The Netherlands






World Forum on Natural Capital
Scottish Wildlife Trust
November 27-28, 2017
Edinburgh, Scotland
Introduction to Environmental Accounting
Australian National University
December 4-8, 2017
Belconnen ACT, Australia






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