On June 16th, twenty-two members of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) staff gathered in Washington, D.C. for a three-day training entitled Economic Tools for Integrating Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services into Development Investments. This course came about as part of our multi-year Biodiversity Understanding in Infrastructure and Landscape Development (BUILD) program, which is part of an agreement with USAID, funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Instructors from CSF, Harvard University, and Cambridge Resources International laid a foundation in microeconomics, natural resource economics, and ecosystem services and explained methods for conducting valuation studies and cost-benefit analyses. Speakers from The Nature Conservancy and Resources for the Future presented case studies of valuation projects in Latin America. The course concluded with examples of integrated environmental-economics analysis and a hands-on exercise in cost-benefit analysis. The participants were extremely pleased with the course, and came away with new perspectives on their work around the world.

“[This course is] an eye opener to issues we never thought about in our investments.”

“[After this course,] I am better able to evaluate the completeness and rigor of proposals to USAID and multilateral development banks. I am better able to justify attention to externalities and the need for well-designed surveys and consultations.”