1. THE VALUE OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF
CAPE TOWN
WHY INVESTING IN NATURAL ASSETS MAKES SENSE
presented at the Cape Town launch of the The Economics of Ecosystems and
Biodiversity (TEEB) D2 Report, SANBI Kirstenbosch, 9 Sep 2010
presented by Martin de Wit
as based on

2. Overview presentation
• Biodiversity and ecosystems goods and
services (EGS)
• Economic value of EGS in City of Cape Town
• Business case for investment and economic
development
Based on study done by City of Cape Town:
De Wit, M.P., Van Zyl, H., Crookes, D.J., Blignaut, J.N., Jayiya, T., Goiset, V. & Mahumani, B.K. 2009.
Investing in Natural Assets. A Business Case for the Environment in the City of Cape Town. Report prepared for
the City of Cape Town.

3. Biodiversity, ecosystems,
wellbeing
Biologically Delivering more
Additional
diverse systems More resilient and/or better
contribution to
are more functioning quality goods and
human well-being
productive services
Increasingly, ecosystems are seen as capital assets, with the potential to generate a
stream of vital life-support services meriting careful evaluation and investment
(Turner & Daily 2008)

4. Prioritised ecosystem services for Cape Town
Higher High Medium Lower
Natural hazard regulation Water purification and Climate regulation – local Climate regulation global
waste treatment, (air quality)
assimilation
Recreation and Tourism Space for biota Small scale urban farming Fresh water provision
Aesthetic values and sense Water regulation Building materials
of place provision
Fish and marine resources Provision of inspirational
beauty
Natural hazard regulation (buffering function for flooding, fires, sea Educational users
level rise/ coastal surge) Cultural and artistic
practices
Provision of natural characteristics that are conducive to tourism Religious practices
and recreation
Erosion regulation
The improvement of water quality and the assimilation of waste - Disease regulation
ecosystems help filter and decompose organic wastes Harvesting
Materials for craft and
Provision of space for globally important biota, and fashion
Use in productions,
The aesthetics and sense of place provided by the natural
environment advertising and
publications
Based on Participatory Rapid Assessment with line function managers and senior staff 4
Criteria: Beneficiaries, Development Objectives, Environmental mandate, Socio-ecological Risks

5. Valuable flows
Table 1: The value of prioritised ecosystem services to the City of Cape
Town: 2008 (A partial analysis)
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6. Nature’s Value in Tourism and Recreation
Green open spaces: R270 – R326 m/a
Tourism: R965 m - R2.95 bn/a
Nature Reserves: R 68 – R83 m/a Beaches: R70 – R85 m/a
These values are an estimation of nature’s share in the production and
consumption of ecosystem goods and services.

7. Natural Hazards Regulation
Natural Hazards Reduced
Fires Consequences
Flooding Damages
Storm surge & Management costs
Sea-level rise People at risk
Ecosystems: natural barriers and buffers against natural hazards.
• Dune cordons and kelp beds reduce storm surges impact on land.
• Natural pervious ground cover absorb rainfall, impervious ground
cover increases water runoff and flood risk.
Lack of management: enhanced natural hazards risk and potential
damages.
• Invasive alien species enhance fire risk, frequency, intensity, soil’s
vulnerability to erosion → enhance potential damages, fire fighting
costs, and clean up costs.
Nature’s services in hazard regulation: R5m - R60m/a

8. Sea-Level Rise and Storm Surge:
Investing in the coast line
The increased risks of storm surges and their associated costs in Cape
Town have been assessed recently in terms of:
• Loss of real estate value
• Damage to infrastructure
• Foregone tourism revenue
Natural solutions: natural parts of the
coastline which act as buffers are not lost to
development
Increase buffering: creating kelp beds,
rockier beaches and sand dunes that will
increase the absorption capacity of the
coastline.

9. Flooding: Investing in rivers and catchments
Table 2: Impacts of the July 2008 floods in Cape Town
Informal settlements affected 70
Damaged structures 7500
People directly affected 30 000
People housed at emergency shelters in community halls 3000
People displaced in safety zones 2480
Number of meals served twice a day 22 000
Number of blankets distributed 13 000
Source: City of Cape Town, media release No 330/2008, 10 July 2008.
Storm water runs off of impervious surfaces and is not absorbed; runoff
volume typically increases:
- twofold as the catchments’ imperviousness increases to 10–20%,
- threefold with an impervious surface cover of 35–40%, and
- more than fivefold with an impervious surface cover of 75–100%
when compared to catchments with natural vegetation cover.

10. Fires: Investing in alien control
R30 million to R40 million in damages attributable to the March
2009 fires in Somerset West (R25 to R30 million in damages for
Lourensford wine estate and R5 million to R10 million for
Vergelegen wine estate
In January 2000, two wildfires burnt 8 000 ha on the Cape
Peninsula resulting in insurance claims of approximately $5.7
million or R73 million
Invasive Alien Plants lead to higher
damage costs, higher firefighting
costs and avoidable clean-up costs.

11. Water Purification and Waste Assimilation: Investing in
rivers and wetlands
Within assimilative capacities
Wetlands • processing some of the grey and
Water waste water outfalls
purification • creation of recreational and
economic opportunities
function • contribution to a healthy
environment for communities.
Services provided by wetlands save cities significant amounts of infrastructural costs if the
natural ecosystem wasn’t present or became inefficient.
Zandvlei:
• Replacement cost of a treatment plant: R180 million
estimated.
• Replacement cost of a flood storage capacity: R24 million
estimated
• Costs of constructing an artificial wetland.
Illustrates the magnitude of the “free” services provided.

12. Space for Biota: Investing in biodiversity
Biodiversity needs to be recognised and valued as a critical
‘umbrella’ service without which most other valuable ecosystems
services would be diminished or may even become unavailable.
Cape Floral
Kingdom
9000 plant species
70% endemic
2002 - 2006: International funding = R225 million
2008 - 2009: Environmental Education Programs =
23 781 learners from 500 schools.

13. Film making: Investing in scenery and aesthetics
Table 3: Number of productions and expenditure in the Cape Town and
Western Cape film industry (2005/2006)
Average expenditure Total
Number of
per production (Rm expenditure
productions
2006) (Rm 2006)
Long form (features) 30 37.2 1 115.6
Local Commercials 142 0.9 162.5
Service Commercials 400 1.8 631.8
International Commercials 58 2.6 77.9
Stills 2 100 0.3 659.8
Provincial Total 2 730 2 647.6
Cape Town Total 2 027.0
Source: Standish & Boting (2007)
Film and advertising total values associated with natural
assets of between R133 million and R398 million pa

14. 3. MAKING A BUSINESS CASE
Insights into the level of environmental expenditures in relation to
the benefits received from the natural environment.
Net present value of combined natural assets:
Indicator
1 → R43 billion to R82 billion.
Ratio of environmental expenditure to the value generated EGS
→ R1 spent by municipality on natural assets ≈ R8.30 (range
Indicator
2 R4.50 - R13.50) of ecosystem goods and services (EGS) generated
compared to
→ R1 spent by municipality overall ≈ R 7.30 added value
generated in local economy
Leverage of municipal
expenditure on economic
value of EGS >
Between 1.2 and 2 times
Leverage of municipal
expenditure on the broader
City economy.

15. CONCLUSION
Investing into underlying natural assets can leverage relatively high
economic value in the broader City economy (1.2 - 2 times higher than
overall municipal expenditure).
Investing and maintaining the City’s natural assets or ‘ecological
infrastructure’ yields highly valuable services which provide the backbone
for value addition in the City’s economy.
It is conservatively estimated that the highest priority natural assets in the City
yield a flow of services valued at R4 billion per annum, within a range of
between R2 billion and R6 billion per annum.
As an entity focused on service provision and as an enabler of economic
growth and development, the municipality has the mandate and opportunity to
invest adequately in natural assets to maintain a healthy flow of services to the
benefit of people living in and visiting Cape Town.

16. Nature provides a free lunch, but
only if we control our appetites.
William Ruckelshaus, Business Week, 18 June 1990