Natural Capital Germany – TEEB-DE: Coordination of the report "Ecosystem services in rural areas and their valorization"

News

The accessible online version of the TEEB DE "Land Report" is now available on the www.naturkapital-teeb.de website at the following pages:

in German: PDF
in English: PDF

Summary

The protection and sustainable use of nature and biodiversity is worthwhile - also in economic terms. This has been impressively demonstrated by the results of the international initiative "The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity - TEEB" (2007-2010). "Natural Capital Germany -TEEB DE" continues the international TEEB initiative on a national level. The study is coordinated by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ (Prof. Bernd Hansjürgens). The main task is to develop four thematic reports that provide economic arguments for the conservation of "natural capital" and thus meaningfully complement ethical and ecological justifications. Numerous stakeholders from science, politics, administration, business and society are involved in the report preparation and contribute to the project via the interactive website (www.naturkapital-teeb.de).
 

Further project information

Human well-being depends on well-functioning ecosystems. They provide oxygen to breathe, clean water, food, basic materials for medicines, industrial raw materials and are reservoirs for climate gases, models for technical solutions and much more. In addition, they provide a range of cultural services that significantly enhance the quality of life: We enjoy a walk in the woods, the beauty of nature and the opportunities for recreation that nature offers us.

However, the loss of biodiversity, the finite nature of natural resources and the degradation of ecosystems are becoming increasingly evident. The loss of ecosystem services is often difficult to compensate for and usually at a high cost, which is reflected primarily in the national economy and must be borne by the general public. Many international examples have shown that the protection and sustainable use of nature and biodiversity are worthwhile - also in economic terms. This was impressively demonstrated by the results of the international TEEB-Initiative The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (2007-2010).

"Natural Capital Germany –TEEB DE" continues the international TEEB initiative on a national level. The study is coordinated by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ (Prof. Bernd Hansjürgens) and funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

The main task is to prepare four thematic reports that provide economic arguments for the conservation of "natural capital" and thus meaningfully complement ethical and ecological justifications. The content focuses on the following questions:

• What is the importance of ecosystems in Germany for dealing with climate change?
• How can the ecosystem services of rural areas and protected areas be secured in the long term?
• How do urban green spaces and near-urban ecosystems contribute to the quality of life in cities?
• How can this value be better incorporated into planning decisions?
• What opportunities and tools exist to better incorporate the value of ecosystem services into land and resource use decisions?

Numerous stakeholders from science, politics, administration, business and society are involved in the report preparation and contribute to the project via the interactive website (www.naturkapital-teeb.de). The project is looking for current research results on the economic significance and valuation of ecosystem services as well as successful examples of the social and economic valorization of natural capital in Germany.

As the core of the "Natural Capital Germany - TEEB DE" project, four reports will be produced:

• Report 1: Climate Policy and Natural Capital: Synergies and Conflicts
• Report 2: Ecosystem services in rural areas and their valorization
• Report 3: Natural Services in the City: Protecting Health and Enhancing Quality of Life
• Report 4: Natural Capital Germany: Seizing New Options for Action - A Synthesis

The task of the project at the Institute of Environmental Planning is to coordinate the preparation of the second report.