ENCA Methodology: Development of Natural Capital Accounts in Kenya and Vietnam

Since 2015, ONF International has been involved in developing and applying the ENCA (Ecosystem Natural Capital Accounts) methodology, developed by Jean-Louis Weber and Didier Babin. This innovative approach makes it possible to assess the state of natural capital by using more than 400 indicators covering biodiversity, ecological infrastructure, water, carbon and biomass.

ENCA highlights the fragility of ecosystems and tracks their evolution over time, generally at the watershed level. It thus provides an accurate and operational view of environmental pressures and the dynamics of degradation or restoration.

Kenya and Vietnam, both involved in the BIODEV2030 programme, have been selected to apply this methodology in contexts where environmental data is sometimes limited. This choice will strengthen synergies between projects and support the implementation of science-based public policies.

Activities carried out

• Collection of key data in Kenya and Vietnam to feed into environmental analyses.
• Production of natural capital accounts (soil, water, carbon, ecological infrastructure) according to the ENCA methodology.
• Creation of a web mapping platform to visualise and compare results in real time.
• Drafting of reports and summary documents to support the integration of ENCA indicators into the ESGAP framework.

Project details

The project involved developing a series of tools and analyses to better understand the state of natural capital in Kenya and Vietnam, while testing their integration into the ESGAP framework.

Land use mapping: Updated land use maps were produced to visualise changes in land use and provide a reliable basis for environmental analyses.

Land accounts: A detailed land account was developed to track changes in land use, quantify areas by category and support land use planning decisions.

Ecological infrastructure account: The project assessed ecological infrastructure (corridors, habitats, natural continuities) to measure its condition, distribution and role in preserving biodiversity.

Water account: A water account was produced to analyse the availability, uses and pressures on water resources, a key element of natural capital.

Carbon account:Carbon stocks were estimated using a dedicated account, making it possible to assess the contributions of ecosystems to climate change mitigation.

Webmapping platform: An interactive mapping platform was set up to visualise the data, facilitate technical exchanges and make the results accessible to partners.

Implementation report: All the work, methods and results were summarised in a detailed implementation report, documenting the methodological choices and lessons learned from the project.

Expected results

The project has strengthened understanding of natural capital in Kenya and Vietnam through the production of land use maps and comprehensive environmental accounts (soil, water, carbon, ecological infrastructure).

These analyses provide a solid basis for monitoring the state of ecosystems and supporting public policy decisions.
An interactive web mapping platform was set up to visualise the data, compare results and facilitate their uptake by institutions and partners.

Finally, a detailed implementation report consolidated all the methods, results and lessons learned, contributing directly to the integration of ENCA indicators into the ESGAP framework and the improvement of environmental monitoring tools.

Budget

90 000 €

Partners

VITO

Beneficiaries

National institutions in Kenya and Vietnam, local communities and regional stakeholders

Donor

IUCN