Co$ting Nature
Web-based policy support system for natural capital accounting and ecosystem service analyses
Description
Co$ting Nature is a web-based policy support system for natural capital accounting and ecosystem service analyses that incorporates detailed global datasets and spatial models for biophysical and socioeconomic climate and land-use processes and scenarios. It calculates a baseline for current ecosystem service provision, and allows interventions (policy options) or change scenarios to be applied to understand their impact on ecosystem service delivery. The tool features more than 140 input maps, and calculates the spatial distribution of 18 ecosystem services and combines these with conservation priority maps, threatened biodiversity and endemism data to understand the spatial distribution of critical ecosystems to support the determination of conservation priorities. Outputs are in the form of a series of summary maps expressed in relative terms (0–1) that combine the outputs of different modules (ecosystem service bundles).
Technology
Co$ting Nature incorporates detailed spatial datasets at 1-km2 and 1 ha resolution for the entire world, spatial models of biophysical and socioeconomic processes, and scenarios for climate and land use. The system calculates a baseline for current ecosystem service provision and allows a series of interventions (policy options) or scenarios of change to understand their impact on ecosystem service delivery.
Target
The main users of Co$ting Nature are decision-makers, policymakers, civil society organizations, donors and researchers.
Business model
Co$ting Nature is a freely accessible web-based tool for analyses of the ecosystem services provided by natural environments (provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services).
Impact
The Co$ting Nature platform has the potential to improve decision-making by quantifying and mapping the value of ecosystem services, enabling targeted conservation and sustainable development.
Four Betters
Better production
Better environment
