Visualizing the Value of Nature

Shared natural resources underpin the global economy, but our current economic system does not acknowledge their worth. Our principle measure of success, the gross domestic product, or GDP, excludes the worth and loss of ecosystems and the services they provide, because as valuable as they are, they have no price.

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) is a major scientific study into the global economic costs of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss. It was initiated by the G8 + 5, hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme, and is supported by the European Commission, Germany, UK, Netherlands, Norway, Japan and Sweden. The study has drawn together knowledge from experts in science, economics, business, development, and policy to identify and develop practical actions in response to the growing evidence of the impacts of biodiversity loss.

In collaboration with TEEB, we would like to challenge the world’s design community to produce cutting-edge, informative visualizations to help us understand the value of nature. Understanding the costs of biodiversity loss through data visualization may force us to reassess what we value and potentially change the way we look at nature.

Deadline: February 21, 2011



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