Project description
Taking stock of an ecosystem’s natural resources and services
Natural capital accounting (NCA) is used to calculate an ecosystem’s overall assets and the flows of natural resources and services it provides to society. The EU-funded MAIA project will support testing and implementation of NCA in 9 EU Member States and Norway as the mainstream method of natural capital and ecosystem accounting. The project will apply the System of Environmental Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) methodology, which provides a uniform structure for the analysis and storage of information on ecosystems' stocks and flows of ecosystem services, in both physical and monetary terms. MAIA will estimate policy priorities for accounting, test and promote NCA in 10 countries, test innovative techniques for NCA in the EU, and support diverse communication activities.
Objective
MAIA (Mapping and Assessment for Integrated ecosystem Accounting) aims to mainstream natural capital and ecosystem accounting (NCA) in EU member states. MAIA uses the System of Environmental Economic Accounting – Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EEA) as the methodological basis for NCA. The SEEA EEA provides a consistent framework for analysing and storing information on ecosystem assets and flows of ecosystem services, in both physical and monetary units. The SEEA EEA follows a spatial approach, requiring extensive (spatial) data and models as inputs into the accounts.
In MAIA, a flexible approach will be followed, allowing for adaptation of the SEEA EEA framework to the conditions of individual EU countries. In particular, MAIA will: (i) assess policy priorities for accounting; (ii) test, pilot and mainstream NCA in 10 countries; (iii) test innovative approaches for NCA in the European context; and (iv) support NCA in the EU through various communication and dissemination activities including the development of guidelines, a web-based information system and other facilitating actions. MAIA will involve in-country work in Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain but there will be outreach to all EU member states through exchanging data, guidelines and experiences.
The MAIA consortium includes a balanced mix of partners with backgrounds in statistics, ecological modelling and environmental economics, including three statistical agencies. In addition, MAIA has 18 supporting partners including statistical and other government agencies in 10 countries. Institutes with more experience will mentor and assist those with less experience. MAIA partners are involved in a range of other initiatives such as the SEEA London Group, MAES, ESMERALDA and IPBES, and includes partners supporting KIP INCA, which will facilitate exchanging experiences. Overall coordination of MAIA is with Wageningen University.
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
6708 PB Wageningen
Netherlands
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Participants (20)
30167 Hannover
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1113 Sofia
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00790 Helsinki
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28933 Mostoles
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265 04 Rio Patras
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1038 Sofia
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7034 Trondheim
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1000 Bruxelles / Brussel
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28006 Madrid
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603 00 Brno
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2492 JP DEN HAAG
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CB3 0DL Cambridge
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
1050 Bruxelles / Brussel
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91120 Palaiseau
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2400 Mol
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1618 Sofia
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6708 PW Wageningen
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
0177 Oslo
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53179 Bonn
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1111 Sofia
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.