Le rôle des universités dans le développement de nouveaux indicateurs de richesse

December 4-5, 2017 | Dakar, Senegal

In the perspective of developing and implementing sustainable development policies, decision-makers are faced with incomplete indicators for measuring wealth and economic performance, particularly concerning the interactions between economic activities and the environment. For several years, initiatives have been developed within the framework of the United Nations to develop a system of accounts, the System of Economic and Environmental Accounting (SEEA), operating on the same principles as the national accounts and making it possible to put the environment into perspective. and economy through a common reading grid. The implementation of this new accounting is also encouraged by international conventions, such as the Aichi Biodiversity Target 2, taken up by SDG 15.9[1].

Part of this work has sought to develop an approach focused on ecosystems, proposing experimental accounting from biophysical and geo-referenced data. At this stage, the monetary valuation of this type of data in an accounting framework is still a subject of research. The Convention on Biological Diversity published a quick start kit in 2014, proposing an approach using open source software, existing and accessible global databases and the combination of satellite and  in situ  data to produce relatively quickly an ecosystem accounting of the natural capital with biophysical data.

In order to extend the implementation of this new form of accounting throughout the world, capacity building initiatives, led by bilateral or multilateral development agencies, have been developed with the aim of supporting countries to produce accounts natural capital. These initiatives mainly focus on the supply and production of these statistics. In order to strengthen demand from local institutions for these initiatives, to extend their impact over time, it is also necessary to pay attention to the use of statistics and data.

In addition, official development assistance generally funds capacity building activities on an  ad hoc basis., through consultants during workshops and short-term technical assistance, for example. These trainings are essential from a perspective of capacity building for immediate needs. The reality, however, is that these initiatives leave out the main capacity building actors for the long term, namely universities. The latter have the dual mandate of transmitting knowledge and skills as well as generating knowledge that can better inform public policy choices. It is through universities that the researchers, decision-makers and technicians of tomorrow will be trained and it is essential that they have adequate knowledge, and can master this new type of accounting to produce it, use it or take part in debates in international forums. It is also the universities that can generate, within the framework of the research activities that they host, the demand for the use of statistics alone able to ensure the viability and interest of the production of natural capital accounts.

There is therefore a major gap in the chain of interactions linking statistics and public policies, and an effort to strengthen research capacities is necessary to fill it. Based on this observation, the Global Development Network (GDN), CIRAD, UQAM and CSE are organizing a reflection workshop on the role of universities in the production and use of natural capital accounts in West Africa[2 ].

Focused on French-speaking West Africa, this workshop aims to:

• Sensitize research institutions to the concept of natural capital accounting;
• Create synergies between potential producers, universities and end users to create relevant information;
• Explore ways to use accounts as an educational resource;
• Initiate a reflection on the creation of a multidisciplinary diploma course around natural capital accounts;
• Initiate a reflection on the creation of a network of research actors around the ecosystem accounting of natural capital, which could in particular materialize around an online platform.

This workshop will bring together representatives of West African universities interested in the project, technicians from government agencies, representatives of international organizations and donors, as well as experts in ecosystem accounting for natural capital.