EcoBalance appears as the instrument to enable the calculations of the Earth Condominium and build an accounting related to the different uses and contributions to the maintenance of global natural systems. While, in step 3 - Natural Intangible Heritage of Humanity -, a proposal for a comprehensive legal support to capture the externalities is presented, the EcoBalance project aims to provide case studies on valuation and compensation techniques for ecological services of natural areas in Portugal.
To determine the EcoBalance, a model to obtain the balance between environmental debits and credits is being applied in areas with different sizes and administrative scales. Based on specific territories, of administrative nature, the EcoBalance is being calculated in the municipalities of Baião and Vila Nova de Gaia, in the North region, and the municipalities of Seia and Guarda, in the Center region. We want to understand what are the contributions of these regions in the global context and how they influence the environmental performance of the country.
By applying land valuation techniques to the global hectare, avoided, non-use and provision costs, including those in the maintenance and restoration of ecosystems, will be estimated. Once in possession of this value for diverse ecosystems in the studied municipalities, we want this information to be used as the basis for the political process of building a common value (step two of the seven steps) in Portugal. From this point on, it will be possible to develop an accounting and get the balance between availability and consumption of public goods for the different regions studied.
