Using InVEST for Coastal Zone Management in Belize
Channel: OCTO (Open Communications for the Ocean)
Date: 2016-06-07

This webinar originally aired on 7 June 2016.

Ocean planning requires balancing numerous competing uses such as recreation and commercial fisheries, tourism, and renewable and nonrenewable energy production. To help meet the demand for information on how human actions affect ecosystems and the benefits that ecosystems provide to people, the Natural Capital Project (NatCap) developed the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) toolkit.

In 2010, Belize’s Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMAI) partnered with WWF and NatCap to answer the question, “Where should we site coastal and ocean uses to reduce risk to marine ecosystems and enhance benefits they provide to people?” The project team used a risk assessment tool in InVEST to assess how threats to marine ecosystems posed by humans and other factors can modify ecosystem condition and function. They then applied a suite of other models within InVEST to map and measure key ecosystem services – annual production of spiny lobster, tourism and recreation, and coastal protection in this case – and changes in value under different management scenarios. This work informed Belize’s first National Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan which was recently endorsed by the Belize government. Read more about the project at https://www.openchannels.org/node/12032.

This webinar was presented by Katie Arkema of Stanford University, Chantalle Clarke-Samuels of the Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, and Gregg Verutes of WWF. The webinar co-sponsored by MEAM, OpenChannels.org, and the EBM Tools Network.