1. MAKING A CASE
Towards an environmentally-adjusted
macroeconomic index for land degradation
Ms Leslie Torres (MSc. Environmental Economics),
Dr. Massimo Candelori (PhD. Agronomy)
11 April 2013

2. Outline
1. Issues at stake.
2. An Index, as an opportunity.
3. The Way Forward: Example

3. 1. Issues at stake…
UNCCD …regarding…. Descriptive Indicators TARGETS?
Strategic
Objectives Quantified?
SO-1  Population Poverty Rate(Proportion of the
(Welfare Impact) population in affected areas living above
the poverty line), Childhood
malnutrition, Calorie intake per
capita, change in land use, Water
availability in affected areas.
SO-2 Ecosystems Land Cover Status, plant-animal
(Biophysical biodiversity, aridity index, change
Drivers) in land use, level of land
degradation (salinization, wind
erosion etc…)
SO-3 Global Benefits Plant-animal biodiversity, carbon
(macro-Econ) stocks above and below ground,
land under SLM; Proportion of the
population in affected areas living
above the poverty line.

4. 2. Index as an Opportunity
GDP 
Common Concepts 
Common Definitions
HDI 

Common Classifications
Common Accounting Rules

Methodological Transparency
CPI 

5. 2. Index as an Opportunity
• Land Degradation Index (GLADIS) • Index of Captured Ecosystem Values
• Environmentally Adjusted Prod. Index • Sustainable Economic Welfare Index
• Water Poverty Index • Ecological Footprint Index
• Sensitivity to Desertification Index • Happy Planet Index
(Environmentally Sensitive Areas) • Wealth Index

6. An Overarching Index: Construction Process
Implementation
Development
Economics,
Science +
Policy
1. Motivation 4. Functional Form 7. Performance Comparison
2. Variable Choice 5. Standardization 8. Decision Making
6. Weighting 9. Policy Making
7. Aggregation

7. 3. Example with existing data
Let’s choose some important indicators found on the UNCCD Strategy, to
construct our possible Index, (I); (W) stands for ‘weights’:
Select Choose
Start Standardize Functional Weights
Items
Form
NO
Judge
Yes
INDEX 
Using already existing data: FAO, WB, UNDP

8. Argentina
7
6
Remember: The higher the
5 Index, the better the Country’s
performance in addressing Land
4 Degradation , and thereby land
degradation neutrality.
3
2
1
0
1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007

9. Argentina Belarus
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007

10. Argentina Belarus Italy
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007

11. Argentina Belarus Italy Pakistan
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007

12. Argentina Belarus Italy Pakistan Senegal
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007

13. THANK YOU !
Contact: Ms Leslie Elizabeth Torres Sibille
MSc. Environmental Economics (University of York, UK)
Email:letatkent@hotmail.com Tel: +49 15227680021