Mainstreaming Ecosystem Services Initiative (MESI): Our Work
WRI is working toward a world in which governments and businesses value and invest in ecosystems—forests, wetlands, coral reefs, etc.—in order to secure economic growth and people’s well being. Leaders take these actions because of the multiple services ecosystems provide, such as supplying and filtering freshwater, storing carbon, preventing erosion, reducing floods, and offering places for recreation. These actions complement traditional biodiversity conservation by restoring nature for people’s sake, not only for nature’s sake.
Our strategy is two-fold:
- Provide decision-makers with information and assessment tools that link ecosystem health with the attainment of economic and social goals; and
- Develop new markets, economic incentives, and public policies that restore and sustain ecosystems.
We pursue our goal through projects which:
Promote an action agenda for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment—encourage the adoption of an action agenda by business, governments, civil society and others in response to the Assessment findings
Ecosystem services for the public sector—change how decision makers think about ecosystem services: from protecting ecosystems from development to investing in ecosystems for development
Corporate Ecosystem Services Review (ESR)—a structured methodology for corporate managers to proactively develop strategies for managing business risks and opportunities arising from their companies’ dependence and impact on ecosystems
Map poverty and ecosystem services —help developing countries understand the interactions between ecosystem services, people, and poverty
Promote integrated coral reef management—provide comprehensive information on threats to coral reefs to foster effective management
Determine the value of ecosystem services—work with governments to support better decisions and create financial incentives for improved management
Evaluate biofuel development—analyze the impact of biofuel production and policies on the environment, agriculture, and economics
Develop water quality trading markets—promote cost effective investments in nutrient reductions
Develop ecosystem service indicators—create common indicators to integrate into existing systems
