Lake Victoria Basin Commission

Planning for Resilience in East Africa through Policy, Adaptation,

Research, and Economic Development (PREPARED)

Applying a standardized methodology

to value biodiversity and ecosystem services

in biologically significant areas

of the Lake Victoria Basin

Michael Gachanja, Lucy Emerton, Mathias Chemonges,

Brenda Bergman

5th Nile Basin Development Forum

Kigali – Rwanda, October 23 – 25, 2017

Planning for Resilience in East Africa through Policy,

Adaptation, Research, and Economic Development (PREPARED)

Project

5.5 year (2012-18)

regional project,

funded by USAID

Focus on the Lake

Victoria Basin

Aimed at building

resilience in:

1. Climate change

adaptation

2. Biodiversity

conservation &

management

3. Water supply

& sanitation

Work with EAC,

LVBC, and 5

Partner States

Planning for Resilience in East Africa through Policy,

Adaptation, Research, and Economic Development (PREPARED)

Project

5.5 year (2012-18)

regional project,

funded by USAID

Focus on the Lake

Victoria Basin

Aimed at building

resilience in:

1. Climate change

adaptation

2. Biodiversity

conservation &

management

3. Water supply

& sanitation

Work with EAC,

LVBC, and 5

Partner States

1

2

5

6

Key question: How to make valuation of biodiversity

and ecosystem services effective in the Lake Victoria

Basin?

1.Context: Lake Victoria Basin & Commission

2.Findings from review of literature on biodiversity

ecosystem valuation in East Africa

3.Guidelines on rapid economic valuation of biodiversity

and ecosystem services

4.Results from testing guidelines

5.Use of economic valuations in the Lake Victoria Basin

Vision

“A prosperous population living in a healthy and sustainably

managed environment providing equitable opportunities &

benefits”

Mission

to promote, facilitate and coordinate activities of different

actors in the LVB.

Lake Victoria Basin Commission

Total Catchment – 180,950 Sq Km

Total Population – 44.9 Million

Pop Density – 300 pp Sq Km

Review of literature on biodiversity ecosystem valuation in East Africa:

Distribution of references reviewed by habitat types

Background

Review of literature on biodiversity ecosystem valuation in East Africa:

Distribution of references reviewed by habitat types

Background

Primarily Uganda and Tanzania

Primarily Kenya

• Limited evidence base for valuation

exercises

• Biodiversity values are often inadequately

addressed

• Focus on the extractive utilisation of

biological resources.

– ½ as many look at non‐use values (e.g.

erosion control and climate regulation)

• Limited examples of use of valuation

studies

• Most studies done by non-government

actors

Key findings

Key questions that guide the economic

valuation:

1.How and for whom does the focal

ecosystem generate economic benefits?

2.What is the current value of biodiversity

and ecosystem services?

• Direct, Indirect, Options, Existence

3.What are the costs of degradation and

loss (costs avoided through protection)?

4.What is the value added from investing in

enhanced conservation and wise use?

Method and Testing of the Guidelines

Method and Testing of the Guidelines

Example results: Nabugabo Wetlands

Lake Nabugabo key ecosystem services

Example results: Nabugabo Wetlands

Nabugabo: Change in wetland values in extended Ramsar

Site under Business as Usual, 2014-39

Lesson 1. Ecosystems have not only been undervalued by communities,

but also by policy makers

Lesson 2. Robust results can be achieved through a participatory

economic valuation process

Lesson 3. Creating champions and promoting buy-in are vital

Lesson 4. Building local capacity enhances the ownership of results

Lesson 5. Local data sets can complement secondary sources of

information and enhance the robustness of results

Lessons from Testing of the Guidelines

Lesson 6. Standardized methodologies are crucial in valuation studies

Lesson 7. Consensus among stakeholders on critical assumptions in

economic valuation is needed

Lesson 8. The economic valuation process requires adequate time for

planning and stakeholder engagement

Lesson 9. Understanding the end goal of the results is critical

Lesson 10. Application of the guidelines can inform conservation

investment

Lessons from Testing of the Guidelines

Using the guidelines and results of economic

valuations

Enable institutions to implement valuations

Improve understanding of values and cost of

degradation

Support the preparation of Integrated Management

Plans and Conservation Investment Packages

LVBC proposed options for establishing Lake Victoria

Environmental Trust Fund and Sources of Financing.

Thank you

For further information, contact:

Website: www.lvbcom.org

Lake Victoria Basin Commission Secretariat

P.O Box 1510 – 40100, Kisumu - Kenya

Email: lvbc@lvbcom.org

Website: www.lvbcom.org

Lake Victoria Basin Commission

Mission: To promote, facilitate and coordinate activities of different actors

towards sustainable development and poverty eradication of the Lake

Victoria Basin.

Lake Victoria Basin Commission