Environmental Accounting of National Economic Systems: An Analysis of West African Dryland Countries within a Global Context - Summary for Decision Makers

This report presents an environmental accounting framework based on a biophysical approach to quantifying values of ecosystem services. The foundation of the method (emergy analysis) is based on our understanding of energy and material flow through systems. Accounting for basic physical flows of energy and materials transformed in both environmental and economic processes permits a direct linkage with monetary valuation of environmental services and natural capital.