ENCA

ENCA

Highlights the vision and approach of ecosystem accounting

ENCA

Definition, Role and Objectives

Ecosystem Natural Capital Accounting (ENCA) is a tool used to measure and monitor the state of ecosystems and natural resources within a country or region. It provides data on ecosystem services, their economic value, and temporal evolution, supporting decision-making, sustainable planning, and environmental policy monitoring.

It is an innovative accounting method that integrates the value of ecosystems and the costs of their degradation into national accounts and macroeconomic indicators.

ENCA relies on a multicriteria analysis combining biophysical and socioeconomic data to evaluate the potential, services, and sustainability of socio-ecological systems.

It plays an essential role in informed policy- and strategy-making for both public and private sectors concerning sustainable resource management and environmental protection.

The objective of the ENCA

Implementation of accounting

Its main objective is to establish accounting frameworks that reflect ecosystem sustainability and renewable resource health. This involves assessing ecosystem services - provisioning (bio-carbon from agriculture, forestry, fisheries), regulating (carbon sequestration, water purification, flood protection), and sociocultural (resource accessibility) - to analyze usage and sustainability

Diagnostic tool

ENCA is a vital diagnostic tool that helps decision-makers understand the impacts of human activities on ecosystems, evaluate their performance and capacity to deliver essential services

Tracking tool

Track ecosystem stocks, flows, depreciation, and reinvestment needs to preserve natural capital.
ENCA in Africa

In Africa, ENCA implementation is driven by the COPERNICEA Project (2020–2024), coordinated by the Project Management Unit (PMU) hosted by the OSS. Key achievements include:

Production of National and Continental Ecosystem Accounts

  • The development of national ecosystem accounts for six partner countries (Burkina Faso, Guinea, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, Tunisia), covering land cover, water, infrastructure, and carbon aspects.
  • The production of the first continental ecosystem accounts, called Afrik’ENCA, providing an overview of Africa’s natural capital. 

  • The organization of awareness and training workshops in several countries, including Morocco, Guinea, and Tunisia, to promote the ENCA methodology practical application.
  • The training of over 200 experts through thematic sessions, strengthening local expertise in ecosystem accounting.

  • The creation of the ENCA.Genius Platform, a tool for measuring and monitoring natural capital and ecosystem resilience at continental, national, and local levels. oss-online.org
  • The development of Sys4ENCA, a platform that promotes the systematic creation of ecosystem accounts, emphasizing integration of local data and regional expert training.

  • The use of ENCA results to strengthen dialogue with national and local actors, facilitating integration of ecosystem services into development plans.
  • Advocacy efforts in several countries to alert decision-makers on adopting and institutionalizing ENCA in national development policies.
  • The establishment of national and local stakeholder committees to ensure project ownership and integration of results into decision-making processes.

Conceptual Framework

Based on biophysical accounting of resources available within an ecosystem, the Ecosystem Natural Capital Accounting (ENCA) framework was developed by Jean-Louis Weber in 2014, within the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

It includes two main account types:

Core Accounts

These accounts establish indicators for the quantitative sustainability of ecosystem use, measure resource depletion, and provide a diagnostic of ecosystem health and average ecological value. They are synthesized into a composite index of Total Ecosystem Capability, expressed in Ecosystem Capability Units (ECU).

Core accounts include:

  • Land Cover Account
  • Freshwater Ecosystem Account
  • Bio-Carbon Account
  • Functional Service Account of Ecosystem Infrastructure

Ecosystem Capability Account

This account is developed for each core component (water, bio-carbon, infrastructure). The overall results are synthesized into the Total Ecosystem Capability Index, expressed in Ecosystem Capability Units (ECU). The ECU is a synthetic unit that measures an ecosystem’s capacity to provide ecological services and environmental benefits - such as climate regulation, water purification, soil fertility, and biodiversity - within an integrated indicator framework.

In essence, the Ecosystem Capability Unit (ECU) serves as a “currency” expressing the unit value of ecosystem performance within national accounts.

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Integration into Public Policies

Integrating Ecosystem Natural Capital Accounting (ENCA) into public policy and development strategies is a key lever for sustainable planning. It allows the:

Recognition of ecosystems’ contribution to national economies

by including their services (water regulation, pollination, carbon sequestration, filtration, etc.) in national accounts and supporting “green GDP” indicators;

Adoption of informed political choices

by highlighting the costs and benefits of natural resource use and conservation, thus reducing unintended negative sectoral impacts;

Greater economic and social resilience

through incorporation of natural capital in land-use and development plans at both national and local levels

Long-term sustainable growth

by improving understanding of ecosystem–human activity interactions and guiding decisions toward more sustainable pathways

ENCA helps decision-makers anticipate environmental pressures, foster value and employment creation, and promote balanced development between economy, society, and nature.