Embedding Ecosystems Services into Policy (EESP) Training Program

Embedding Ecosystem Services into Policy Training Event in Malawi

Building on the ecosystem services assessments performed to inform the Malawi Country Climate Development Report, the EESP team worked closely with the National Statistics Office and the Department of Environmental Affairs in Malawi to make the case for ecosystem services and natural capital approaches to key institutions. This resulted in a 3-day training event conducted in Lilongwe, Malawi, in June 2023, convening 13 senior government officials and 46 technical experts and practitioners from various sectors in the environmental, policy and financial planning space in Malawi. The training was tailored to demonstrate the possible applications of these approaches to three priority, national policy processes: the Malawi 2063 Plan, the upcoming updates of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), and the implementation of the 2022 Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) framework. The Africa Natural Capital Accounting Community of Practice sent a delegate to welcome senior government officials to the community of practice and provide support to the Malawi government as they set up their steering committee and prepared a roadmap for the development of natural capital accounts.

Access the workshop presentations below.

Key Achievements

This event brought together decision makers from key sectors to promote the adoption of ecosystem services and natural capital approaches in national planning strategies in Malawi.

Malawian leaders worked together to define how the different sectors can integrate these approaches into their policies and projects, and they nominated the National Statistics Office (NSO) as the institution to lead Malawi’s natural capital accounting. 

The NSO and Office of Environmental Affairs worked closely with the Africa NCA Community of Practice to draft a natural capital accounting roadmap and participants from all sectors contributed their ideas and made commitments to support the next steps in Malawi’s natural capital accounting process.

Audience

Officials and technical staff from the following institutions:

Workshop Agenda

Malawi ES & NCA Training Agenda

Workshop Presentations

Malawi Deep Dive

Forthcoming in 2024

Lesotho Ecosystem Services for Integrated Catchment Management Training Event

Under the guidance of Lesotho’s Integrated Catchment Unit, the BELA team designed a tailored capacity building workshop on ecosystem services to support a cross-sectoral audience in incorporating ecosystem services approaches into the integrated catchment management plan. The workshop sessions drew on landscape assessments to introduce ecosystem services approaches and their potential applications in watershed management in Lesotho. Access the workshop presentations below.

Key Achievements

Nominated representatives from key ministries in Lesotho formed the Ecosystem Services Task Team (EST Team) to collaboratively plan this 4-day workshop. The EST Team became a functioning community of practice (COP).

Through the workshop, the EST Team was introduced to the Africa Natural Capital Accounting COP (NCA COP) which resulted in Lesotho’s membership in the Africa NCA COP.

BELA worked with the EST Team to prepare a rapid assessment of ecosystem services in Lesotho using cross sectoral data. These results and the workshop activities helped to engage sectors and inform a more robust Integrated Catchment Plan.

Audience

Officials and technical staff from the following institutions: 

Workshop Agenda

Lesotho ES Training Agenda

Workshop Presentations

Landscape Approaches Pilot Training Event in Zambia

The training event in Zambia was conducted as a pilot of the EESP training series, in collaboration with the Africa Natural Capital Accounting Community of Practice (Africa NCA COP). This 2-day hybrid event took place in Lusaka, Zambia, in June 2022, and engaged Africa NCA COP members from throughout the region. The event aimed to advance institutional capacity in Zambia to increase the integration of ecosystem service science and landscape approaches into financial planning and policymaking.

Key Achievements

Through the piloting of this series, GPS gained insights into challenges and barriers related to capacity that prevent countries from utilizing landscape assessments in their projects, investments, and planning processes. These insights have been used to inform the design of further EESP training events.

The training event also provided an opportunity for experts and professionals from different sectors to connect with each other, and with the Africa NCA COP. Additionally, the training provided insights into the application of ecosystem services science to inform the development of Zambia’s water accounts.

Audience

Officials and technical staff from the following institutions:

Workshop Agenda

Zambia NCA Training Agenda

Hands-on Capacity Building on Natural Capital Accounting and Investment Prioritization Tool

As part of the Ethiopia Resilient and Green Development Programmatic Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA), a capacity-building workshop was conducted in November 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Participants from various ministries of the government of Ethiopia participated in working sessions spread across 2 days to receive hands-on training for the development of ecosystem and land accounts, and an Investment Prioritization Tool (IPT). This helped them identify future opportunities for investment in sustainable land and natural resources management. Access the workshop presentations below.

Key Achievements

The Government of Ethiopia has made progress on a standardized national classification system for land cover/use, which would be a key input to finalize the land accounts and ecosystem accounts. It was agreed that the working group and in particular Space Science Geographical Institute (SSGI) and the Ethiopian Forest Department (EFD) would work together to finalize this classification by the end of 2023.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, the team developed an Investment Prioritization Tool that utilizes ecosystem services as a guiding metric to identify priority areas for Sustainable Land Management (SLM). This tool will contribute to the revision of the Ethiopian Sustainable Land Management Strategic Investment Framework (ESIF 2). A preliminary version of the dashboard was introduced and used for hands-on exercises during the capacity building event and very useful feedback was provided by participants.

Audience

Officials and technical staff from the following institutions:

Workshop Agenda

Ethiopia NCA & IPT Training Agenda

Workshop Presentations

Forthcoming in May 2024.

The EESP e-course will be openly available on the World Bank’s Open Learning Campus. The course features video presentations by cutting edge ecosystem services scientists and environmental economists to provide participants with an exploration of ecosystem services science and its application informing the following policy and planning mechanisms:

• Results-based finance instruments: P4R, PES, REDD+

• Restoration and Conservation targets: NBSAP, NDC, and other commitments

• Integrated land and water management

• Natural Capital Accounting (Water, forest, and ecosystem accounts)

• Climate Adaptation & Mitigation strategies (CCDRs)

Through these modules, the course aims to highlight the interconnectedness of diverse sectors in mitigating biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, and climate change. It will also outline the importance of, and the urgent need for collaboration across different work streams, and of incorporating ecosystem services into development considerations for more sustainable development.