Natural capital plays a central role in economic development of nations for human well-being.These are realized through provision of both market and non-market goods and services. The System of National Accounts only includes market, or near-market, goods and services and therefore fails to fully account for non-market contributions of natural capital to national income. This proposal intends to integrate natural capital into the System of National Accounts using the framework of the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA), developed under the auspices of the UN Statistical Commission. Specifically, the work will focus on non-market ecosystem services from two priority landscapes in Rwanda. Rwanda is an especially attractive study site because it is: 1) one of the 10 African signatories to the Gaborone Declaration, which commits the country to implement natural capital accounting, and 2) it is a Core Implementing Country of the‎ World‎ Bank’s‎ Wealth‎ Accounting and the Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES) Global Partnership. In addition to assessing the contribution of ecosystem services to national economic accounts, a computable general equilibrium analysis incorporating ecosystem services will be conducted to identify potential tradeoffs arising out of alternative natural resource policy and management options; innovative financing mechanisms for natural capital investment will also be identified. Support from the Science for Nature and People initiative will provide a model and critical resources for ensuring collaboration occurs and synergies are optimized across the different groups who are beginning to work on these efforts including the research institutions, NGOs, the Government of Rwanda, and the World Bank who are emphasizing integration of natural capital into System of National Accounts through ongoing initiatives. Results from this study will guide natural resource management policy agenda by establishing the direct relationship between the economy and natural capital. It will provide a practical field-tested country case study of regional communities of practice (CoPs) for natural capital accounting that can be adopted by other regions/countries. Rwanda is a unique country for undertaking this‎work‎in‎the‎ region‎ given‎ the ‎Government’s ‎commitment‎ to‎ natural ‎capital ‎accounting, as evidenced by its National Natural Capital Committee, and its commitment to become a developed country by 2020. The results that emerge from this working group will directly‎ support‎ the‎ country’s‎ ambitious‎ development‎ planning‎ processes‎ and‎ will‎ serve‎ as‎ a ‎model for other countries seeking to integrate natural capital into its goals for economic growth. collapse