The importance of valuing Africa's natural riches

The briefing highlights that conventional conservation and economic growth models in Africa have often failed to protect ecosystems, which are vital for the livelihoods of the poor. It advocates for the use of market-based mechanisms, such as Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), to quantify the value of nature's services and incentivize sustainable management over destructive land use. The author notes that African countries have largely failed to utilize ecosystem markets due to governance gaps, lack of technical knowledge, and disputes over land tenure, urging regional organizations to lead the integration of ecosystem services into mainstream economic planning.

• Standard economic indicators like GDP fail to account for the depletion of natural resources and ecosystem degradation, meaning they do not register the decline in wealth that affects future economic prosperity.
• Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes use economic incentives to encourage the sustainable use of natural resources, potentially offering higher economic value than converting ecosystems for farming or logging.
• Ecosystem degradation in Africa disproportionately affects the poor, as a majority of the population relies directly on these services for primary income and lacks alternative livelihood options.
• African countries have not effectively utilized ecosystem markets due to a combination of governance failures, lack of technical knowledge, and inadequate awareness.
• The implementation of PES schemes is hindered by institutional weaknesses, specifically a lack of transparency, limited institutional capacity, and disputes regarding resource ownership and land tenure.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2012). The importance of valuing Africa's natural riches. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-importance-of-valuing-africa-s-natural-riches/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. The importance of valuing Africa's natural riches. 2012. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-importance-of-valuing-africa-s-natural-riches/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=The importance of valuing Africa's natural riches |date=10 October 2012 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/the-importance-of-valuing-africa-s-natural-riches/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2012importance, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{The importance of valuing Africa's natural riches}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2012}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/the-importance-of-valuing-africa-s-natural-riches/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }