introduction to the training course

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Economic Analysisof Invasive Species
introduction to the training course
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why the economics of invasives?

• issues associated with biological invasions have
  traditionally been seen as responsibility of
  biologists
• yet invasive species are fundamentally an
  economic problem in terms of their causes,
  effects and remedies
• most invasions can be linked to the intended or
  unintended consequences of economic activities
• the major (although not only) reason that
  invasives are considered a problem by human
  beings is because they ultimately impact on
  economic systems and undermine human wellbeing
• is now widely recognised that economics is to do
  with much more than just understanding the costs
  of invasives - also concerns causes, links
  between human behaviour and natural processes,
  and finding solutions

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why the course?

• despite growing recognition by the scientific
  community of the need for economics, the
  application of economic approaches and tools to
  invasives remains a recent innovation
• most literature deals with the economic costs of
  invasions, and with case studies carried out in
  North America and Europe
• although is now widely acknowledged that economic
  analysis and the use of economic instruments are
  key to dealing with the problems associated with
  biological invasions, there remains little
  guidance as to how economic approaches and tools
  should be applied in practice
• invasive species have many unique and unusual
  characteristics which set them apart from other
  environmental and land use issues, meaning that
  conventional economics models dont always apply

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objectives of the course

• to solicit expert input and review of GISP
  economic framework and tools for analysing and
  addressing invasive species
• to build capacity and awareness among economists
  and scientists to identify, understand, and
  manage economic aspects of invasive species

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the project

• Building Capacity in Africa for Economic Analysis
  of the Threats Posed by Invasive Alien Species
• development of training materials
• delivery of training course
• implemented by IUCN and CABI under GISP
• funded by the World Bank-Netherlands Partnership
  Programme

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the toolkit

• provides a clear, user-friendly guide to the
  application of economic approaches and tools to
  invasive species
• employs a modular approach, works through
  iterative steps to identify, understand, address
  and manage economic aspects of invasive species
• targeted primarily at economists, can also guide
  scientists who are working on invasive species
  management

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the workbook

• provides case studies of the economic impact of
  invasive alien species in Africa
• Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) - Uganda
• Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) - Central
  African Republic South Africa
• Larger grain borer (Prostephanus truncatus) -
  Benin Ghana
• Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) -
  South Africa
• Triffid weed (Chromolaena odorata) - South Africa

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what this course covers
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what this course covers
by the end of this module, the participant will
have gained an understanding of the current
situation of invasive species regionally and
globally and be aware of the need for economic
perspectives
about invasive species
Module 1
understanding the economic causes of invasions
Module 2
impacts of invasive species and ways to address
them
Module 3
defining invasive-relatedcosts benefits
Module 4
valuing ecosystem impacts
Module 5
informing actionsto address invasives
Module 6
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what this course covers
about invasive species
Module 1
by the end of this module, the participant will
have acquired tools for identifying and tracing
through the economic causes of invasions, and
their impacts on human wellbeing
understanding the economic causes of invasions
Module 2
impacts of invasive species and ways to address
them
Module 3
defining invasive-relatedcosts benefits
Module 4
valuing ecosystem impacts
Module 5
informing actionsto address invasives
Module 6
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what this course covers
about invasive species
Module 1
by the end of this module, the participant will
have been presented with information about the
biological attributes of invasives and the ways
in which they impact upon ecosystems, as well as
being aware of the ways in which we can try to
prevent or manage biological invasions
understanding the economic causes of invasions
Module 2
impacts of invasive species and ways to address
them
Module 3
defining invasive-relatedcosts benefits
Module 4
valuing ecosystem impacts
Module 5
informing actionsto address invasives
Module 6
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what this course covers
about invasive species
Module 1
understanding the economic causes of invasions
Module 2
by the end of this module, the participant will
understand the different types of economic costs
and benefits associated with invasives, and be
able to categorise them according to a total
economic value framework
impacts of invasive species and ways to address
them
Module 3
defining invasive-relatedcosts benefits
Module 4
valuing ecosystem impacts
Module 5
informing actionsto address invasives
Module 6
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what this course covers
about invasive species
Module 1
understanding the economic causes of invasions
Module 2
by the end of this module, the participant will
have gained a broad familiarity with the use and
limits of ecosystem valuation, be able to
identify the most appropriate technique to use in
a given situation, and have a general
understanding of the steps and data that are
required to apply different valuation tools
impacts of invasive species and ways to address
them
Module 3
defining invasive-relatedcosts benefits
Module 4
valuing ecosystem impacts
Module 5
informing actionsto address invasives
Module 6
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what this course covers
about invasive species
Module 1
understanding the economic causes of invasions
Module 2
by the end of this module, the participant will
be more aware of how and when invasives issues
need to be incorporated into economic
decision-support information and indicators, and
have a better understanding of the types of
economic and financial instruments that can be
used in support of the control of invasive
species
impacts of invasive species and ways to address
them
Module 3
defining invasive-relatedcosts benefits
Module 4
valuing ecosystem impacts
Module 5
informing actionsto address invasives
Module 6
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agenda
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rules of the game

• sessions are intended to be as interactive as
  possible
• the participants in this course are all
  experienced planners, researchers and analysts
  everybody has valuable knowledge and expertise to
  share
• participants are encouraged to comment, ask
  questions, share experiences, and to provide
  their own suggestions and insights

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thank you