DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL CAPITAL ACCOUNTS, DATA, TOOLS, AND ANALYSES
Several grant activities in Ghana were finalized in FY25, including compilation of water-related ecosystem services, and the associated report was drafted, reviewed, and published on the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency website. Ecosystem accounting data (ecosystem extent, water-related ecosystem services, hydrological modeling) completed under the GPS-sponsored NCA program has informed the first phase of a feasibility study on PES. This first phase of the PES study, which involved development of an inventory of commercial water suppliers and users in areas that the NCA program’s ecosystem accounting efforts identified as potential suppliers of water-related ecosystem services, has been completed. The second phase, which assesses the costs and benefits of implementing a PES scheme in Ghana’s largest basins (Pra and Volta), is ongoing.
INFORMING INVESTMENTS AND POLICIES
The newly compiled water-related ecosystem service accounts provide updated, essential information on the status and contributions of Ghana’s natural ecosystems. The Ministry of Environment is leveraging these data to revise national targets for the Global Biodiversity Framework. The Ghana NCA Program delivered capacity-building activities to the Ministry and other government agencies as part of efforts to strengthen natural capital accounting capabilities. GPS supported the production of natural capital accounts, which informed revisions to the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), including the establishment of new targets aligned with the GBF. GPS supported production of natural capital accounts, which informed revisions to the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, including establishment of new targets aligned with the Global Biodiversity Framework. District-level land and ecosystem extent accounts that GPS sponsored informed development of guidelines for ministries, departments, agencies, and regional coordinating councils to enable natural capital to be mainstreamed into their respective medium-term development plans and budgets at the subnational level.
CAPACITY BUILDING AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION
A comprehensive set of capacity-building activities was implemented to mainstream NCA and strengthen ecosystem services management in FY25. These included a dedicated workshop focused on drafting guidelines for NCA mainstreaming, facilitating multi-stakeholder input to institutionalize NCA in planning and policy processes. Technical training in ecosystem services accounting built foundational expertise in integrating biophysical and economic data for informed decision making. The National Landscape and Natural Capital Forum convened approximately 160 participants, with approximately 40 percent female participation, to share best practices, discuss policy advances, and highlight the role of data and analytics in supporting sustainable landscape management and biodiversity conservation. Two hundred forty-six individuals participated in these activities, including representatives of diverse agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana Statistical Service, National Development Planning Commission, Ministry of Environment, National Development Planning Commission, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Finance, and Forest Research Institute of Ghana. The government has allocated budget to institutionalize NCA, demonstrating its commitment to embedding the values of natural capital into national planning and policy frameworks.
COMMUNICATION
In FY25, a briefing training workshop for media professionals and civil society organizations was held to enhance communication and understanding of NCA that provided the more than 60 participants with foundational knowledge and practical tools to convey NCA concepts and their implications for sustainable development.
