NCA Making Waves: Highlights from South Africa's Third National Natural Capital Accounting Forum

The third National Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) Forum, held on 7 and 8 August 2024 in Pretoria, South Africa, brought together a vibrant community of practitioners, policymakers and stakeholders dedicated to advancing NCA in South Africa. Convened under the theme “NCA Making Waves”, the Forum provided a platform to reflect on progress, share innovative approaches and chart a course for future advancements of NCA in South Africa.

Organised and hosted by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) in partnership with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the event also benefited from the support of the Water Research Commission (WRC) and the Ecological Infrastructure for Water Security (EI4WS) project. Approximately 120 participants from 39 organisations and institutions across local, national, regional and international levels gathered at the Stats SA Auditorium in Pretoria, South Africa, to explore the transformative potential of NCA across sectors.

The Forum featured engaging technical sessions, expert panel discussions and interactive breakout groups. Key highlights included a session on mainstreaming biodiversity into the financial sector, where leaders from the Nedbank, the South African Reserve Bank, the Banking Association of South Africa and the African National Capital Alliance, examined the intersection between finance and biodiversity. The discussions highlighted the importance of aligning regulatory frameworks, enhancing biodiversity data and fostering collaborative approaches to mitigate biodiversity risks within financial systems.

In another notable segment, the value of youth involvement in the NCA community was highlighted through a presentation that emphasised the need to create opportunities for young professionals and integrate NCA concepts into educational curricula, fostering a robust pipeline of future practitioners and ensuring the long-term sustainability of NCA efforts.

Technical sessions provided a deep dive into thematic topics such as water security, climate-related accounts and biodiversity economy. These discussions highlighted the importance of ecological infrastructure in sustaining South Africa’s water resources and showcased the improvement of data-driven tools. Participants called for greater investment in long-term datasets and capacity building to improve the accessibility and applicability of NCA findings for decision-making.

The Forum also celebrated diversity and inclusion through two standout sessions. A traditional health practitioner and CEO of Nature Speaks and Responds emphasised the critical role of traditional healers in safeguarding natural resources and the importance of including their voices in biodiversity conservation decisions. In the “Women in NCA” session, women leaders shared their professional journeys and contributions, inspiring attendees to champion gender equity and inclusion within NCA and beyond.

A key takeaway from the Forum was the ongoing need to transform NCA findings into actionable insights, ensuring that natural capital remains integral to sustainable development policies and practices. The event concluded with reflections on collaboration, knowledge-sharing and capacity-building to achieve a transformative impact across the NCA value chain.

SANBI and Stats SA have since published additional articles elaborating on specific insights and developments from the Forum:

• Nature’s True Value: Integrating Biodiversity into National Planning
• Women and youth leading the way in Natural Capital Accounting

The National NCA Forum continues to serve as a cornerstone for fostering partnerships and aligning stakeholders across sectors, reaffirming South Africa’s commitment to sustainable and inclusive development.

To access all Forum resources and presentations, please visit the Forum website.

Article contributed by Stats SA