Success stories in mainstreaming ecosystem services into macro-economic policy and land use planning: evidence from Chile, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa and Viet Nam
A project aimed at integrating the economic value of ecosystems into government policies has identified almost one billion dollars of benefits in four pilot countries, the importance of ecosystem conservation to the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Project for Ecosystem Services (ProEcoServ) is UNEP’s flagship project focused on the valuation and mainstreaming of ecosystem services into policy design within the larger ambit of sustainable development. Implemented in Chile, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago and Viet Nam over four years, ProEcoServ has facilitated policymakers in the four pilot countries to access scientific information on how ecosystem services impact human welfare and economies. This report summarizes and highlights the key findings and decision makers’ uptake process of ecosystem assessment tools developed throughout the implementation of ProEcoServ.