Project: National Natural Capital Accounts
Client: 4EI/Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
Location: United Arab Emirates
Objective: To develop state of the art, spatially mapped Natural Capital Accounts for the UAE, covering a range of marine and terrestrial ecosystems and associated services.
Our role: Sustain Value is contributing to the valuation, mapping and account creation for several terrestrial and marine related ecosystem services. In 2023, we developed approaches for coastal protection, blue carbon, coastal fisheries and ecosystem support of fisheries. These are linked to the extent and condition of coral reef, mangrove, seagrass, salt marsh and sabkha ecosystems. This year we are will cover other ecosystem services, including marine aquaculture, tourism and aesthetic enjoyment. We are also investigating a series of management, climate change and economic development related scenarios to be linked to the accounts to inform the government how best to optimise nature management for the coming few decades.
Outcome: Ahead of the UAE hosting COP28, we delivered preliminary results to the client, including a methodology, accounts report and interactive geospatial maps, and presented them at the conference. The complete valuation of all material marine and terrestrial ecosystem services, along with the scenario analysis, is scheduled for completion in 2025.