Natural Capital Accounts for Forests 2010 to 2015 : First Results and Next Steps

The Government of the Republic of Zambia is developing natural capital accounts (NCA). This work is directed by a Steering Committee led by the Ministry of National Development Planning (MNDP), and includes members from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR), the Zambia Statistical Agency (ZamStats), Ministry of Water Development and Environmental Protection (MWDEP), Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) and the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC). The accounts unify information on natural resources to show how they are contributing to the economy and how the economy may be affecting the natural resources. Such information is important for improving development decisions. This document is a technical report of the Forest Accounts for Zambia, covering the period 2010 to 2015. It follows extensive work by the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Forest Accounts, the World Bank Team and Consultants on natural capital accounting (NCA). This report is the first official iteration of a Forest Account for Zambia. It serves as a starting point, proving that forest accounts can be produced for the nation but also recognizing that they can be improved, expanded and institutionalized to address key policy issues in Zambia. It has considered, to the extent possible, stakeholder reviews (Annex two).