Natural Capital: Working Towards Local-Level

Indicators for the NRE2Sharmalene Mendis, Ingrid Brueckner,

and Diane MartzCentre for Rural Studies and Enrichment

St. Peter’s College, Muenster, SKApril 30, 2004 NRE2 Environment Team

Overview

Purpose and GoalNatural Capital

DefinitionScale

ArgumentsWorking FrameworkIndicators

DefinitionSample Criteria and Rationale

What we plan to doConclusion and Discussion

Question for discussion:

What is the relationship of NC with:

Governance?Services?Communication?

Ecosystem Wellbeing

HumanWellbeing

Ecosystems HumanSystems

Therefore…

How to measure?

Market

AssociativeBureaucratic

Communal

Collective Collective OutcomeOutcome

Natural Natural capitalcapital

Social Social capitalcapital

Human Human capitalcapital

Economic Economic /built capital/built capital

Community Community capacitycapacity

MobilizersMobilizersChanges in and existence of

the capitalsCultural values

Community commitment

Individual traits

Purpose and Goal

PurposeTo identify:

A working definition of Natural Capital (NC) A framework of NC for communities Potential indicators accessible to community residents Appropriate and affordable local-level measures of NC

Goal Identify indicators applicable at the local-level to

measure the quantity and quality of NC

Definition: Natural Capital

Natural capital (NC)The natural endowments of a specified area that consists of stocks of environmental assets, with value embedded in their existence. These stocks yield a flow of goods and services now and into the future, which can combine with economic/built, human and social/cultural capitals to produce wellbeing.

– Cahill, 2001; Flora, 1999; Folke and Berkes, 1998; MacDonald et al., 1999; Mendis et al.,2003; Olewiler, 2002; Pretty, 2004; Roseland, 2000; Smith,2000

Three Principle Categories of NC

Natural Resources The stock of renewable and non-renewable resourcesthe source of raw materials used in the production of manufactured goods

Land essential for the provision of space in which economic activity and terrestrial ecosystems functioning may take place

Ecosystem Servicesessential for the services they provide directly and indirectly to the economy and for ecosystem functioning.

• Assimilative capacity• Life support functions • Amenities

Application at Different Scales

GlobalPrescott-Allen, 2001

NationalNational Round Table for the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE)

ProvincialGPI Atlantic; Pembina Institute (Alberta); Prescott-Allen, 2002; Michalos, 1997

LocalParkins et al., 2001; Beckley et al., 2002; Shaw et al., 2002

Arguments Against the Use of NC

Cannot adequately measure environment in monetary termsTraditional economic concept of capital is not comparable with the environment as it:

Is not human createdPresumes that one capital may replace another

Includes human indicators and indicators of environmental policies and practices rather than of actual environmental stresses and conditionsTechniques of measuring preferences (i.e. willingness to pay) are unreliable and not validEnvironment is not only defined by human desires and needs

Arguments For the Use of NC

Values environmental functions and services which are generally un-priced for decision-makingRecognizable and easily understoodBreaks down the components for assessmentAllows for the use of established accounting schemes for management

Cost benefit analysis (illustrate economic damage done by resource depletion and pollution)

Recognizes limits to the environment and the imperfect substitutability of NC Fits within the framework of well-being, community capacity, sustainability, and ecosystem management

Working Framework

NATURAL CAPITALNATURAL CAPITAL

Natural Resources•Renewable

•Non-renewableLand

Ecosystem Services

LandEnergyResource

SectorAssimilative

CapacityLife Support Functions

Amenities

Energy Material

AgricultureFisheries

Hunting and Gathering Timber

MiningOil and Gas

Atmosphere Water

Biodiversity

Atmospheric Services

Hydrological Cycle

Aesthetic Appreciation

Spiritual Connection

Ecological Understanding Access

to Nature

LandDiversity

LandQuality

Local AirQuality

Indicators – Definition

Indicators: are selected key statistics that provide information on significant trends in the environment, natural resource sustainability and related human activities (NRTEE, 2001)

Indicators vs Measures

Indicators - Rationale

What is the rationale for the use of NC indicators? Means for systematic comparison Monitors the environment and related activities Describes socio-economic and environmental

conditions Are accessible and easily interpretable Informs decision making Measures progress towards sustainability Measures on-going impacts of resource

development?

Sample Indicators for Natural Resources

EnergyCrude oil/natural gas reservesEnergy consumption by primary energy source

AgricultureAgricultural land-use and supply

ForestryStock of timber

MiningStocks of mineral resources

Sample Indicators for Land

Land Diversity% land converted for human use% natural land

Land Quality% degraded land

Sample Indicators for Ecosystem Services

AtmosphereAir quality index

WaterWater quality

BiodiversityIndex of species diversity

AmenitiesAccess to natureEcological Understanding

Criteria for Indicator Selection

Must be credible and meaningfulIs it relevant?Is it reliable?Is it responsive?Is it sensitive?Is it predictable?

Must be practicalIs data available?Is the data affordable?

Must be validIs it measurable?Is it understandable?Is it cost-effective?

What We Plan to Do

Develop NC objectivesFinalize generic framework of NCFinalize indicators to fit this generic framework

Create flexible framework to be used by communities as a tool to allow for local context and variance

Conclusion

Debate in literature about the validity of NCNC is a useful tool

For monitoring changes over space and timeFor decision-makingTo communicate with communities

Current research focuses on appropriate indicators of NC at different scales

Thank you! Any questions?

Question for Discussion

What is the relationship of NC with:Governance?Services?Communication?