Feasibility Study for Biodiversity Accounting in Uganda
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UNEP-WCMC Scoping report Feasibility Study for Biodiversity Accounting in Uganda Scoping report Authors King, S., Wilson, L., Brown, C., Vause, J., Harfoot, M., Mapendembe, A., van Soesbergen, A., Kaggwa, R., Ogwal, F. & Tushabe, H. Published July 2016 Copyright©2016 United Nations Environment Programme In collaboration with National Planning Authority (NPA) of Uganda, National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) of Uganda & National Biodiversity Data Bank (NBDB), Makerere University. Citation UNEP-WCMC (2016) Feasibility Study for Biodiversity Accounting in Uganda. Cambridge, UK. The United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is the specialist biodiversity assessment centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world’s foremost intergovernmental environmental organization. The Centre has been in operation for over 30 years, combining scientific research with practical policy advice. This document has been produced based on a series of stakeholder engagements and a stakeholder workshop completed in Uganda in January 2016 and a series of follow up enquiries. We are very grateful to all who participated in this process and contributed to this document. The work has been funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swedish International Development Cooperation (SIDA). Disclaimer The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP, the Government of Norway, the Government of Sweden, contributory organizations or editors. The designations employed and the presentations of material in this report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP or contributory organizations, editors or publishers concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries or the designation of its name, frontiers or boundaries. The mention of a commercial entity or product in this publication does not imply endorsement by UNEP. ISBN: 978-92-807-3584-0 DEP/2019/CA UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) 219 Huntingdon Road, UNEP promotes Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK environmentally sound Tel: +44 1223 277314 practices globally and in its www.unep-wcmc.org own activities. Our distribution policy aims to reduce UNEP’s carbon footprint Scoping report Contents Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Glossary .................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 1. Biodiversity in Uganda ...................................................................................................................................... 11 2. Desk-Based Assessment of Policy Entry Points ............................................................................................ 17 3. Stakeholder Engagement ............................................................................................................................... 28 4. Review of Spatial Data ..................................................................................................................................... 32 5. Review of habitat-based approaches ............................................................................................................. 36 6. Risk-Register Framework. .............................................................................................................................. 40 7. Next Steps ........................................................................................................................................................ 49 8. Conclusions. ..................................................................................................................................................... 55 References ............................................................................................................................................................. 57 Appendices ........................................................................................................................................................... 61 Appendix A: Initial Stakeholder Workshop for Biodiversity Accounting in Uganda Appendix B: Review of Data to inform Biodiversity Accounting in Uganda Appendix C: Proposal for extended Stakeholder Engagement Workshop 2 Scoping report List of figures and tables Figures Figure 1: Living Uganda Index for vertebrate trends in forest, freshwater and savannah (Pomeroy & Tushabe, 2004) ..................................................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 2: Living Uganda Index and Living Planet Index for vertebrate trends (Pomeroy et al., 2006)....... 12 Figure 3: Framework for mobilising data for ecosystem accounting in Uganda (adapted from a diagram produced in the EU BON Project) ...................................................................................................................... 17 Figure 4: Key policy documents reviewed ......................................................................................................... 19 Figure 5. Conceptual framework for the risk register (Mace et al. 2015) ........................................................ 41 Figure 6. Risk Register scoring matrix (a) and results (b) (Mace et al. 2015) ................................................ 42 Figure 7: The relationship between natural capital assets and benefits ........................................................ 44 Tables Table 1: Summary of policy entry points for species and ecosystem accounts in Uganda ........................... 27 Table 2: Priority ecosystems services and species ........................................................................................... 29 Table 3: Priority policy questions and relevant policies................................................................................... 31 Table 4a. Risk register framework for Uganda................................................................................................. 46 Table 4b. Risk register scoring matrix. ............................................................................................................. 46 . 3 Scoping report Executive Summary Biodiversity is an important part of Uganda’s natural capital stock. The interaction of species and ecosystems (as components of biodiversity generally) deliver a variety of ecosystem services that directly and indirectly contribute to national development and the livelihoods of Ugandans. The sustainable use of the stocks of ecosystems and the species they contain is fundamental to maximizing economic growth and human well- being in Uganda over the medium to long terms. However, the services provided by these aspects of biodiversity are typically provided outside of markets. This results an undervaluation of ecosystems and species, and in the omission of the depletion of natural capital stocks in traditional national accounts of economic progress. The National Development Plan II (NDP II) for Uganda explicitly recognises the need for rational and sustainable use of the environment and natural resources in pursuit of sustained economic growth and socio-economic transformation. Integrating the environment and natural resources into the national accounting system is identified as a key intervention in this regard. This can also inform a number of other key policy initiatives in Uganda, including Uganda’s Green Growth Strategy, National Environmental Management Policy and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, among others. The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting - Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EEA, 2014), has been developed in response to such demands for integrated environmental and economic accounts. Biodiversity accounting is one of the several accounting themes within the SEEA-EEA. This feasibility study is the product of a joint initiative between UNEP-WCMC, NPA and NEMA. This document presents the results of a feasibility study for biodiversity accounting in Uganda. Specifically, the potential to construct Species Accounts and accounts of changes in ecosystem extent (Ecosystem Extent Accounts) is evaluated. This has been informed by desk based assessment, a series of stakeholder engagements and inquiries and a stakeholder workshop in Kampala in January 2016. The study is based on the approach to constructing Species Accounts presented in UNEP-WCMC (2016), which should be read in conjunction with this document. The study has established that there are clear policy entry points and applications where information from both ecosystem and species accounts could inform policy and decision making, for example: Informing the ongoing debates on gazettement and degazettement of protected areas Increasing awareness and appreciation of biodiversity as a natural capital asset amongst decision makers and the public. Making the case for increased budget allocation and investment in biodiversity rich sectors for biodiversity conservation and management. Establishing the extent of ecosystem degradation and where biodiversity