International Workshop on Mainstreaming Ecosystem Services into Development Policy: Approaches and Opportunities

23-24 May 2012, Port of Spain, Trinidad

The workshop was a partnership meeting for the Project for Ecosystem Services (ProEcoServ), organised in Port of Spain on the 23rd and 24th May, 2012, to create a discussion forum for the pilot countries of ProEcoServ (Chile, South Africa and Lesotho, Trinidad and Tobago and Vietnam).

The meeting's objectives were:

  • To do stocktaking of what is known about ecosystem services – development policy linkages;
  • To provide an overview of current approaches to the mainstreaming of ecosystem services into development planning;
  • To identify the limitations on the effective use of these approaches;
  • To discuss the possible tools which can be used in developing countries (enabling factors);
  • To identify knowledge gaps and direction of future work.
In supporting the fulfilment of these objectives, the workshop revolved around five main themes:
  1. Linking Economic Development and Ecosystem Services;
  2. Mainstreaming at the Multilateral Scale;
  3. Sharing Evidences and Country Experiences;
  4. Policy Cycle and Areas of Intervention for Mainstreaming;
  5. Invest Training.
In order to ensure fruitful discussions at the workshop, representatives of various key partner institutions such as Universities and Research Institutions, UN Family Organisations (UNEP-ROLAC), UNDP, GEF and UN STATS), the World Bank, World Resource Institute, WWF and Government/Governmental Organisations from pilot countries shared their experiences.