Myanmar's natural capital maps are available online at http://www.myanmarnaturalcapital.org

Science Meets Art In MyanmarA new WWF Myanmar report and website highlight how Myanmar's natural capital--including its forests, coastlines, waters, and biodiversity--sustains the country'seconomy and the well-being of its people.

When Myanmar held its first general elections in decades last November, WWF'sHanna Helsingen wasn't sure what to expect.

Before the polls opened at 6am she donned a longyi--Myanmar's version of a sari--and took a stroll through downtown Yangon.

"I saw this crazy guy coming down the street, waving a purple pinky in the air," shesaid. At first alarmed, she quickly realized he wasn't crazed, but ecstatic.

He had just come from a polling booth...

READ MORE

READ MORE

Dispatch From The Field:Mission To NairobiBY ANNE GUERRY

Editor's Note: So often in the NGOand academic sphere, we or ourpeers traipse halfway around theworld for meetings, conferences, andsummits. Once there we listen to aparade of accomplished, influential speakers and hope to learn a few things. But whatis it that sinks into our memories?What is it that changes us? Often what weexperience outside the meeting rooms is as powerful as what we hear inside.

2pm May 14, SeattleMy plane ticket to Kenya arrives in my inbox, courtesy of the UN EnvironmentProgram, only three days before I'm scheduled to fly out. It turns out I really am goingto the other side of the world for a two-day meeting, the UNEP Science-Policy Forum,where I've been invited to say something inspiring about natural capital. I know little ofNairobi other than that it's unsafe and choked with traffic.

10am May 17, SeattleWondering about the sanity of going so far to deliver one little inadequately preparedtalk, before leaving the house I have one of Edgar Allen Poe's "imp of the perverse"moments and consider just leaving my suitcase by the door, and settling in at hometo work for the day.

1pm May 18, AmsterdamI'm surrounded by American missionaries full of excitement about the months theywill spend in Kenya and neighboring countries and their belief in God's plan for them.I think about my own little mission--I too have some gospel to spread.

10pm May 18, NairobiAfter a 9-hour flight from Europe over the Sahara, we land in Nairobi...

China's Natural CapitalEfforts Paying Off

This month Sciencepublished the results of China's firstnational ecosystem assessment,showing how the country's massiveinvestments are paying off in waysthat will make people safer, byreducing the risk of naturaldisasters, improving water quality,and mitigating climate change.

READ MORE

WWF's Carter Roberts Photo credit: Deb Lindsey/WWF-

US

China began investing billions to restore ecosystems, paying farming families toreplant trees on steep slopes and other vulnerable areas, after a series of floods andlandslides in the 1990s killed thousands of people.

"China has gone further than any other country," said Gretchen Daily in a StanfordNews Service story featuring the research. "In the face of deepening environmentalcrisis, China has become very ambitious and innovative in its new conservationscience and policies and has implemented them on a breathtaking scale."

Photo credit: XiXinXing/Shutterstock

InVEST is our flagship tool with 18 different models formapping and valuing ecosystem services. Check out all our

software at naturalcapitalproject.org/software.

Keynote Speakers Lining Up For 2017 Natural Capital Symposium

WWF'S CARTER ROBERTS & TNC'S MARK TERCEK TO SPEAK

Interest in natural capital is flourishing, as is the role of the annual Natural Capital Symposium as aconvening for innovators in this growing field.

After 2016's successful gathering at StanfordUniversity, leaders from two of the world's largestenvironmental organizations, and core NatCappartners--The Nature Conservancy (TNC) andWorldWildlife Fund (WWF)--have alreadymarked their calendars to attend as keynotespeakers in 2017.

"The Natural Capital Symposium is anenormously valuable convening of scientists fromacross the country working to transform the waythe world approaches today's biggest

TNC's Mark TercekPhoto credit: Dave Lauridsen

challenges," said Mark Tercek, President and CEO of TNC, who will be returning in2017 for the second year in a row. Tercek pushed 2016 attendees to provide moredata-driven, actionable information during his keynote address, which he recappedin a recent blog post. "Together," he said, "we're helping decision-makers see thatprotecting nature is the smartest investment they can make."

In 2017, WWF President and CEO Carter Robertswill also give a keynote address."Leaders in places like Myanmar, Mozambique,and the Arctic are seeking sound scientificguidance and tools to make decisions about theirdevelopment options," Roberts said. "Bringingtogether scientists and policymakers at events likethe Natural Capital Symposium increases theprospect that their questions will be answered in away that protects the planet and provides benefitsfor all its inhabitants."

Both WWF and TNC have had strong showings ofstaff at the symposium, with WWF hosting

international delegations from Southeast Asia and Africa, and TNC bringing inrepresentatives of water funds across Latin America, for example.

For more information about the event, check out The Natural CapitalProject's webpage, with information about speakers, submitting posters andabstracts, and travel arrangements.

Recent Press & PublicationsManaging forest ecosystem services for hydropower productionVogl, Adrian L., P. James Dennedy-Frank, Stacie Wolny, Justin A. Johnson, Perrine Hamel,Urvashi Narain and Anil VaidyaEnvironmental Sciences & Policy. 61: 221-229. July 2016. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2016.03.004

Study Finds China's Ecosystems Have Become HealthierTe-Ping Chen, The Wall Street Journal, June 17, 2016

China's environmental conservation efforts are making a positive impact, Stanford scientists sayBjorn Carey, Stanford News, June 16, 2016

Improvements in ecosystem services from investments in natural capitalOuyang, Zhiyun, Hua Zheng, Yi Xiao, Stephen Polasky, Jianguo Liu, Weihua Xu, Qiao Wang, LuZhang, Yang Xiao, Enming Rao, Ling Jiang, Fei Lu, Xiaoke Wang, Guangbin Yang, Shihan Gong,Bingfang Wu, Yuan Zeng, Wu Yang and Gretchen C. DailyScience 352: 1455-1459. June 17, 2016. doi: 10.1126/science.aaf2295

We're (not) running out of water - a better way to measure water scarcityKate Brauman, The Conversation, June 5, 2016

Global Water Data: We'll Show You the World, Sort OfBrauman, Kate A.Open Rivers: Rethinking The Mississippi. No. 2, Spring 2016.

Valuation of ecosystem services to inform management of multiple-use landscapesMa, Shan, Jennifer M. Duggan, Bradley A. Eichelberger, Brynn W. McNally, Jeffrey R. Foster,

Eda Pepi, Marc N. Conte, Gretchen C. Daily and Guy ZivEcosystem Services 19:6-18. June 2016. doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2016.03.005

For more news stories and publications, check out Our Library. Access to full articles may requirelibrary access.

Thank you for your continued interest in The Natural Capital Project. If you have anyquestions, please feel free to contact us at contact@naturalcapitalproject.org.

STAY CONNECTED: