Regional Training Workshop on the SEEA
Ecosystem Accounting
5-8 June 2023
Manila, Philippines

Concept note

1 BACKGROUNDThe System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA) provides the agreed uponstatistical framework for measuring the relationship between the environment and theeconomy. It is comprised of two complimentary international statistical standards: the SEEA
Central Framework (SEEA CF) and the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA). Adopted
in 2021, the SEEA EA constitutes an integrated and comprehensive statistical framework fororganizing data about habitats and landscapes, measuring the ecosystem services, tracking
changes in ecosystem assets, and linking this information to economic and other humanactivity.
The SEEA EA can contribute significantly to measuring biodiversity and monitoring
progress towards biodiversity targets. This is especially true after the adoption of theKunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in late 2022 by the Fifteenth
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The GBF signals
the international community’s dedication to halting biodiversity loss and increasing
ecosystem restoration, and the SEEA plays a key role in the monitoring framework. TheSEEA EA also contributes significantly to other international initiatives (e.g. SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs), Paris Agreement, etc.)
The regional workshop is organized by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) andthe UN Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (UNSIAP) as part of the Development
Account project, “Environmental-Economic Accounting for Evidence-Based Policy in Africaand Asia”, which aims to address the technical and institutional barriers to theestablishment and use of environmental-economic accounts. The workshop aims to buildcapacities in the region for the compilation of SEEA EA accounts relevant to biodiversity, aswell as climate change.

2 OBJECTIVESThe objectives of the training programme are to:a) help participants acquire knowledge and skills to deepen their understanding of theSEEA EA;b) develop good practices for the dissemination of SEEA EA accounts and resultingindicators;c) facilitate experience sharing among Asia-Pacific countries; andd) support countries to set up a strategy and work plan for the implementation andfurther development of SEEA EA accounts in support of biodiversity policies.

3 LANGUAGE
The course will be offered in English.

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4 TARGET PARTICIPANTS
Target participants of the regional workshop are staff of national statistical offices and otheragencies that have experience in SEEA and its implementation, particularly those working
on land or ecosystem accounts, and/or plan to implement land or ecosystem accounts inthe future. The total number of target participants is approximately 40, including national
participants.

5 ORGANIZATIONThe 4-day training workshop will take place in Manila. Participants will discuss technicalissues related to the compilation of SEEA EA accounts; they will also learn about goodpractices in dissemination. Besides technical issues, participants are expected to share theirexperiences on producing and disseminating SEEA EA accounts. The workshop willconsist of lectures, practical exercises and the sharing of experiences among countries
through presentations and breakout group discussions.

6 CONTACT PERSONS
Jessica Ying Chan
Statistician
United Nations Statistics Division
New York, USA
E-mail: seea@un.org

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PROVISIONAL AGENDA
Day 1: Monday, 5 JuneTimeSession
8:30 – 9:00
Registration
9:00 – 9:30
Opening remarks and ice breaker
9:30 – 10:30
Overview of the SEEA EA and policy applications
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee & tea break
11:00 – 12:00
Introduction to land cover accounts
12:00 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 14:00
Basic GIS concepts
14:00 – 15:00
Country experiences in compiling land cover accounts
15:00 – 15:30
Coffee & tea break
15:30 – 16:30
Introduction to ecosystem extent accounts
16:30 – 17:00
Exercise on ecosystem extent accounts
Day 2: Tuesday, 6 JuneTimeSession
9:00 – 9:30
Review of Day 1
9:30 – 10:30
Country experiences in compiling ecosystem extent accounts
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee & tea break
11:00 – 12:00
Introduction to ecosystem condition and service accounts
12:00 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 15:00
Country experiences in compiling condition and service accounts
15:00 – 15:30
Coffee & tea break
15:30 – 17:00
Introduction to the ARIES for SEEA
Day 3: Wednesday, 7 JuneTimeSession
9:00 – 9:30
Review of Day 2
9:30 – 10:30
Exercise on ecosystem condition and service accounts
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee & tea break
11:00 – 11:30Exercise on ecosystem condition and service accounts
11:30 – 12:00
Introduction to geospatial data assessment
12:00 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 15:00
Group work on geospatial data assessment
15:00 – 15:30
Coffee & tea break
15:30 – 17:00
Presentations on geospatial data assessment

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Day 4: Thursday, 8 June
TimeSession
9:00 – 9:30
Review of Day 3
9:30 – 10:30
Ecosystem services modelling
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee & tea break
11:00 – 12:00
SEEA and the Global Biodiversity Framework
12:00 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 14:30
Exercise on dissemination14:30 – 15:00
Way forward and closing

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