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Biodiversity makes key contributions to national economies and the wellbeing of people. Robust information on biodiversity, ecosystem services and their contributions to people is critical for governments as they make decisions on a broad range of issues around the economy, human health and wellbeing.

Through our expert guidance and collaboration with in-country partners, our National Ecosystem Assessment Initiative (NEA Initiative) helps countries to better understand and integrate the full value of biodiversity as they develop and implement national policies. This allows governments and other actors to make informed choices on how to deliver the best outcomes for men, women and the nature on which they depend.

To date, we have helped partners in 14 countries develop national ecosystem assessments. In 2022, two of these countries, Ethiopia and Viet Nam, published assessments that were the culmination of extensive efforts that involved hundreds of policy experts, local communities and Indigenous Peoples. Both countries will now start communicating their findings and incorporating them into national development policies.

As country-driven processes that involve collating, reviewing and assessing comprehensive information on biodiversity, ecosystem services and their linkages to people, national ecosystem assessments have a vital part to play in improving decision-making at the national level.