E-learning course on Biodiversity and Ecosystem

All life, including human life, depends upon biodiversity and ecosystems, and upon the goods and services they provide. Society nearly always views these benefits as ‘free,’ and does not integrate the costs and benefits of biodiversity into economic and policy frameworks. As a result, the world has experienced unprecedented loss of biodiversity around the world, undermining the very foundations of life on Earth.

By recognizing the full suite of benefits that biodiversity and ecosystems provide, and by incorporating these benefits into economic and policy frameworks, a course can be set for halting and even reversing the overwhelming loss of biodiversity that has already been experienced. The goal of this training is to provide an overview of the process of biodiversity valuation and mainstreaming. 

In this e-learning course, an overview will be provided of the consequences and causes of biodiversity loss, a description of the range of ecosystem services that nature provides, and an introduction to the concept of economic valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services.