Ministry of Environment and National Statistics officials met in Nairobi, Kenya for the Closing Regional workshop for the United Nations Development Account Project, from the 11th to the 13th of December 2017. Namibia, was amongst other 4 African countries namely; Botswana, South Africa, Ghana, and Mozambique that attended the workshop.
United Nations Development account Project is aimed at enhancing the capacity of African National Statistics Offices in implementing the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA). The closing regional workshop thus provided an opportunity for Kenya and Uganda, the project countries, to share their experiences on drafting of national plans for the implementation of the SEEA, the lessons learned on the compilation of pilot accounts and how best to communicate and disseminate the pilot accounts to the relevant stakeholders, ensure the uptake into policy decision making and how to scale up the implementation of SEEA.
Namibia through its Second National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, a national document which sought to implement the three objectives of the UNCBD, aims to address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society (Strategic Goal 1).
One of the main approaches outlined in the NBSAP2 for mainstreaming ecosystems and their value into broader governance processes is by compiling natural capital accounts. The UN Statistics developed the System for Environmental Economic Accounts (SEEA) which outlines the methodology for and the application of Natural Capital Accounts for various natural capital goods and has become a statistical standard since 2012.
Learning outcomes for Namibia include; the need to develop a National Plan for the implementation and compilation of NCAs based on the SEEA Methodology as demonstrated by the other countries. This National Plan could be implemented through the already established Technical Working Group on Natural Capital Accounting, a committee spearheaded by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. Furthermore, it is encouraged that officials take up ELearning courses offered on SEEA methodology by the United Nations Statistics Division.
For more information on the workshop, click here