The Regional Task Force on Economic Valuation

The meeting is part of the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand (SCS SAP Project), focusing on evaluating actions to address transboundary environmental problems in the SCS-GOT Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs). The primary objective is to discuss developing a template guidance for implementing a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) of core actions, which will be used to rank recommended regional and national actions based on their NET BENEFITS (social, ecological, economical, and climate-resilient) for implementation by bodies like COBSEA. The agenda includes presentations and discussions on recommended actions across various themes (Ecosystems, Pollution, Fisheries, Climate Mitigation, and Governance) at both LME and national scales. A key consideration is ensuring the social aspects of the transition are just, specifically by integrating gender equality and vulnerable populations into the CBA metrics (COSTS and BENEFITS). The meeting concludes with the RTF-EV Response and discussion on the technical aspects of the CBA (50 minutes total), followed by charting next steps for developing a guidance document for national teams and developing the CBA for the Regional SAP.