CATIE contributes to the dialogue on natural capital in Sub-Saharan Africa

• The workshop brought together researchers, government representatives, and stakeholders from the environmental and agricultural sectors of Africa, the Americas, and Europe.

CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) participated in an international workshop aimed at strengthening global collaboration around the sustainable management of natural capital as a foundation for sustainable development in countries of the Global South. The event was organized by the Natural Capital Collaborative ( Natural Capital Collaborative (NatCap) program of the Environment for Development (EfD) initiative and took place from May 26 to 27 at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

This gathering brought together researchers, government representatives, and professionals from the water, agricultural, and environmental sectors of countries in Africa, the Americas, and Europe. The central objective was to share experiences in natural capital management and collectively build a relevant research agenda for the Global South, with an emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa. Workshop presentations and discussions focused on four major themes: biodiversity, water, forests, and agriculture.

CATIE at the forefront of building solutions to improve water access

As the host institution for the EfD initiative in Central America and Mexico (EfD-CAM), CATIE plays a central role in leading this research agenda. Róger Madrigal, Coordinator of the Environmental Economics and Sustainable Agribusiness Unit (UEAAS/EfD) at CATIE, actively participated as a presenter and facilitator.

For the past three years, Madrigal has led the research agenda on water issues for EfD, focusing on solutions to address the challenges of scarcity and access to drinking water in urban centers. This line of research is being developed through comparative studies between Central America, Chile, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa.

“At the workshop, we discussed how to generate useful evidence to design public policies that ensure equitable and sustainable access to water, especially in cities of the Global South, where social and environmental challenges intensify due to urban growth and the impacts of climate change,” Madrigal noted.

The event also addressed research priorities, implementation pathways, and mechanisms for inter-institutional collaboration to move toward more resilient and sustainable systems for natural capital management, particularly in terrestrial landscapes marked by persistent poverty and inequality.

Participating academics came from universities such as the University of Cape Town (South Africa), University of Nigeria (Nigeria), Makerere University (Uganda), University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Portland State University (United States), University of Geneva (Switzerland), and University of Gothenburg (Sweden). There was also representation from various ministries of environment, agriculture, and water resources, as well as water service providers from countries including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa.

Committed to the Global South

Through its participation in international events such as this one, CATIE reaffirms its commitment to generating scientific evidence that contributes to the design of public policies benefiting countries in the Global South, positioning itself as a key player in applied research for sustainable development.

Sobre Natural Capital Collaborative
NatCap es una red colaborativa impulsada por el EfD que promueve investigación aplicada sobre capital natural para apoyar la toma de decisiones informada en países del Sur Global. La iniciativa articula a personas investigadoras y responsables de política pública en torno a desafíos comunes relacionados con agua, biodiversidad, bosques y agricultura. Para más información visite: https://www.efdinitiative.org/natural-capital-collaborative-natcap