Marine ecosystem services and natural capital in China: Opportunities for improved understanding, valuing, and policy.

Abstract

This paper reviews the context and prospects for markedly improved sustainability of marine ecosystems and resources in China, based on accounting of marine ecosystem services and natural capital along with supporting policy and governance frameworks, in turn based on existing approaches in China's terrestrial social-ecological systems. Such integrated accounting, policy, and governance would provide a unique, novel, and innovative approach to regional-scale, sustainable ocean management. China is uniquely placed to implement such accountability, given the extensive adoption of accountability in terrestrial landscapes and the strong commitment to "ecological civilization" at the highest levels of national policy. Specifically, the paper outlines: The current, seriously degraded state of marine ecosystems and resources in China, largely due to economic drivers that ignore the valuable economic services provided by healthy marine ecosystems;The critical context of, and high-level commitment to, China's considerable development of environmental accounting, implementation and governance frameworks in terrestrial landscapes;Existing approaches for assessing marine natural capital in China, and the relationships between them;Currently available assessments;Current governance arrangements for marine ecosystem management in China.The paper then provides a potential implementation pathway for a system of standardised, nationally integrated, provincially-implemented marine environmental accounts, policy and governance, adapted from existing terrestrial arrangements. Such accounting, if embedded in rigorous governance and policy structures to drive real-world implementation, could generate a major improvement in sustainability of China's marine ecosystems. Given the extent of China's marine jurisdiction, and severity of ongoing degradation, such improvement could have enormous environmental and economic benefits within China, and at a global scale.