NBI Technical Reports: Wetlands and Biodiversity Series Nile Basin Wetlands TEEB Synthesis Report WRM /WBS-2020-08 Document Sheet This Technical Report series publishes results of work that has been commissioned by the member states through the three NBI Centers (Secretariat based in Entebbe- Uganda, the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office based in Addis Ababa - Ethiopia and the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program Coordination Unit based in Kigali - Rwanda. The content there-in has been reviewed and validated by the Member States through the Technical Advisory Committee and/or regional expert working groups appointed by the respective Technical Advisory Committees. The purpose of the technical report series is to support informed stakeholder dialogue and decision making in order to achieve sustainable socio-economic development through equitable utilization of, and benefit from, the shared Nile Basin water resources. Document Citation NBI Technical Reports- WRM /WBS -2020 - 08 Nile Basin Wetlands TEEB Synthesis Report Title Nile Basin Wetlands TEEB Synthesis Report Series Wetlands and Biodiversity Series 2020-08 Number Responsible and Review Responsible Nile-Secretariat NBI Center Responsible Dr. Abdulkarim Seid and Mr. Leonard Akwany NBI Document Nile Basin Initiative Wetlands Task Team and Lead Consultants (November 2020) Review Process Final Nile Basin Initiative Wetlands Task Team and Lead Consultants (November 2020) Version endorsed Author / Consultant Consultant Individual Consultants Firm Authors Dawit W. Mulatu (PhD) and Jemal A. Tadesse (PhD) Project Funding German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Source (BMU) Project Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Ecosystem Services of Name Wetlands of Transboundary Relevance in the Nile Basin Project Please confirm this Number Disclaimer The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of NBI’s Member States or its development partners. Trademark names and symbols are used in an editorial fashion and no intention of infringement on trade mark or copyright laws. While every care has been exercised in compiling and publishing the information and data contained in this document, the NBI regrets any errors or omissions that may have been unwittingly made in this publication. The NBI is not an authority on International Administrative Boundaries. All country boundaries used in this publication are based on FAO Global Administrative Unit Layers (GAUL). ©Copyright Nile Basin Initiative Executive summary This document is a synthesis report of the Nile basin ecosystem services valuation were identified, wetland TEEB. “TEEB” stands for The Economics of covering all of the riparian countries. More than two Ecosystems and Biodiversity: a global initiative thirds refer to water-based ecosystems, including seeking to mainstream the value of biodiversity and freshwater wetlands, coastal and marine systems, ecosystem services into decision-making at all levels. and watersheds. The Nile Basin Wetlands TEEB study is coordinated by the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI. Yet, although incorporating a wide range of wetland types, the geographical distribution of the studies is The report seeks to bring wetland ecosystem patchy. The vast majority refer to Kenya, Tanzania services values to the attention of river basin and Uganda. Only a handful of studies have been planners and managers, and to thereby promote carried out in Egypt, Sudan or (especially) Burundi, better-informed, more effective, inclusive, equitable Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea and South and sustainable conservation and development Sudan, and very few investigate transboundary, decision-making in the Nile River Basin. regional or multi-country ecosystems. Wetland valuation is also constrained by a lack of biophysical Currently, wetland ecosystem services are data, and limited technical capacity. undervalued in decision-making in the Nile Basin. Not only does this encourage policies and plans that Perhaps most seriously, the decision-making lead to wetland degradation and loss (thereby influence, impact and uptake of ecosystem services causing costs, damages and losses by undermining valuation studies also remains very limited. There is the provision of economically-valuable ecosystem as yet little evidence and few documented examples services), but it also leads to missed economic and of the findings of valuation studies actually being development opportunities (by overlooking the acted on by decision-makers in the agencies, sectors contribution that wetlands make to water-related and industries that depend and impact most on and other ecosystem services). wetland and water ecosystem services. The Nile Basin TEEB synthesis report has two The Nile Basin Wetlands TEEB study was initiated to components. The first component of this report is play a key role in overcoming these information concerned with reviewing the existing knowledge gaps, including expanding the regional coverage and base on wetland ecosystem values, the Nile basin biophysical/socioeconomic evidence base on economies, wetland ecosystems, examples of wetland values and – importantly – providing wetland case studies in the Nile basin, identifying key practical, policy relevant and management-oriented river basin planning and management priorities advice to river basin planning and wetland decision- where valuation could play a key role in guiding or makers. informing decision-making, and thus defining the purpose, focus, approach and methodology of the To these ends, based on an assessment of decision- Nile Basin Wetlands TEEB study. making needs and priorities for Nile River basin planning and guided by the NBI Regional Wetlands The scoping of research and knowledge repositories Expert Working Group, and a regional Expert Panel found that there is already a fairly sizeable and on Ecosystem Valuation convened specifically to growing literature on wetland (and other related) support the TEEB process, the broad architecture for ecosystem values in Nile Basin countries. In excess of the study was developed and presented in the 300 published documents and research articles on following figure. Nile Basin Wetlands TEEB Synthesis Report The goal of the Nile Basin Wetlands TEEB study is to The second component of the TEEB synthesis report strengthen awareness and actions on the economic ‘the main TEEB study’ is based on a series of site- importance of wetland ecosystem services to Nile level economic valuation case studies in priority Nile Basin regional, national, sectoral and local-level Basin wetlands. These seek to assess the socio- development processes in order to facilitate more economic and financial viability, cost-effectiveness effective, equitable and sustainable river basin and return on investment of green infrastructure decision-making. measures for potential stakeholders at the selected sites. The main goal is to support wetland It serves the policy and practical purpose of building conservation measures, management plan and the economic case for wetland conservation and development options to enhance wetland wise use, and has a specific focus on assessing and ecosystem services benefits related to food access, capturing the socio-economic value of wetlands as regulation of micro climate, energy security, social ‘natural’ water infrastructure. The first target and economic values, and sustainable society, audience is river basin planners and water environment and economy. infrastructure investors. The entry point is to demonstrate the socio-economic and development The Nile Basin Wetlands TEEB synthesis report advantages of investing in wetlands. The second consolidate the Nile basin wetland case studies in target audience is wetland conservation planners order to support wetland policy and planning, and and managers. The entry point is to identify point to economic solutions and instruments that can opportunities for improving conservation funding be used to capture wetland ecosystem values in and incentives. support of more effective, equitable and sustainable river basin development, particularly by considering Overall, for both target audiences, the intended area the economic case for wetlands conservation and of decision influence is to help to leverage financing wise use through investments on wetlands and other resources for sustainable wetland management plan as well as assessment of wetlands management. development options. Nile Basin Wetlands TEEB Synthesis Report Key Messages • The wetland areas in the Nile basin are one of the most degraded parts of the Nile, which covers 5% of the basin and vulnerable to various problems, such as infrastructure development close to water resources, conversion to agricultural land, increasing population, overexploitation of wetland resources, expansion of invasive species, extraction of minerals and oil, and climate change. • The Nile Basin wetlands TEEB study seeks to bring wetland ecosystem values to the attention of river basin planners and managers, and to thereby promote better-informed, more effective, inclusive, equitable and sustainable conservation and development decision-making in the Nile River Basin. • The review of literature and knowledge gaps makes it clear that there is a fairly sizeable and growing literature on wetland (and other) ecosystem values in Nile Basin countries. Most of the ecosystem valuation approaches and techniques that are commonly used in other parts of the world are also being applied