1. In 2017, the European Union initiated a project, “Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services” (NCAVES) in 2017 to help nations advance the knowledge on environmental-economic accounting, in particular ecosystem accounting, that can help in ensuring sustainable economic growth.

    2. The NCAVES Project is being implemented in five countries – India, Brazil, China, Mexico and South Africa - by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD).

    3. The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation has taken up several initiatives under the NCAVES Project during the past three years.

    4. With a view to disseminate the activities taken up by the Ministry under the Project and to highlight the uses to which natural capital accounts can be put, especially in the areas of decision making and policy analysis, the Ministry is conducting NCAVES India Forum (in a virtual format), in collaboration with United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), European Union and UN Environment.

    5. Three live sessions of NCAVES India Forum 2021 are scheduled to be held on January 14, 21 and 28, 2021.

    6. Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has to be the focal point for national statistical system, has to play a crucial role in coordinating and harmonizing the data systems in the country in line with the national priorities and to strengthen India’s national statistical system to provide timely inputs for policy and stronger dissemination practices for public.

    7. Natural Capital Accounting is important especially in view of the requirement to have science-based data driven policy to address the issues related to environment like climate change and biodiversity.

    8. During the Session, a report on the activities taken up by MOSPI under the NCAVES Project was released.

    9. The report gives gist of the compilations made by MOSPI on various environmental goods and services, as released by the Ministry in its publications, EnviStats India. The report also highlights some of the pilot exercises undertaken by the Ministry as part of the NCAVES Project.

    10. Presentations on linking environment with economic growth and sustainable development were made underscoring the importance of using a conceptual framework that integrates scientific and economic data with traditional accounting principles.

    11. System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA) can help in assessing the sustainability of economic growth by accounting for the changes in the stocks and flows of natural resources and the environment.

    12. Through the forum, the Ministry targets to showcase Government’s efforts in making environment a key dimension in our policy paradigm and welcomes active participation of all stakeholders in the NCAVES India Forum 2021.

About NCAVES

The National Statistical Office (NSO), Govt of India has the mandate for ‘development of methodology, concepts and preparation of National Resource Accounts for India’. In line with the mandate, NSO, India is participating in the European Union (EU)-funded “Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (NCAVES)” project launched in 2017 by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) in five piloted countries- the other countries being Brazil, China, South Africa and Mexico.

This project is jointly implemented by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) in close collaboration with national stakeholders, and is likely to propel India in the path of compilation of ecosystem accounts.

The main objective of the UNSD-led project is to mainstream natural capital accounting and the valuation of ecosystem services in data-driven decision and policy-making at the national, regional and local levels.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal.)