MOUNTAIN NATURAL CAPITAL WORKING GROUP
Natural capital, defined as the stock of natural assets within a specific area of the planet, provides essential ecosystem services that underpin human well-being. Mountains, in particular, hold immense value as reservoirs of biodiversity, sources of freshwater, and centres of cultural heritage. They support millions of people worldwide, both within mountainous regions and in downstream areas, by delivering critical ecosystem services such as climate regulation, water supply, and energy provision.
Despite their importance, mountain natural capital faces significant threats from both direct and indirect drivers of global change. Climate change, land-use and land-cover change (LULCC)—often manifested as habitat destruction—overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, and invasive alien species are degrading natural capital and disrupting ecosystem services in mountain regions. These processes lead to significant biodiversity loss and negatively affect human health and well-being.
Addressing these environmental challenges requires urgent and transformative action, drawing on systemic and targeted knowledge that recognizes the intrinsic and instrumental value of mountains.
Building on the cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange established during the 2023 Synthesis Workshop on Mountain Natural Capital in Barcelona, the Working Group on Mountain Natural Capital aims to advance research on natural capital and ecosystem services.
The group employs advanced methodologies to assess the natural capital and ecosystem services of European mountains, integrating ecological, economic, and social perspectives to evaluate both direct and indirect drivers of change and their effects on ecological and human health. Additionally, the group tests and refines existing integrated and interdisciplinary frameworks to identify, quantify, and value natural assets, including those that account for the extent and condition of ecosystems, as well as ecosystem services and biodiversity.
By combining ecological science and socio-economic analysis, the group also aspires to support evidence-based policy for sustainable development in European mountain regions. Recommendations may include protecting, restoring, and sustainably managing mountain ecosystems through nature-based solutions and climate change adaptation and mitigation actions that integrate ecosystem health into economic decision-making, as well as providing insights, strategies, and tools to enhance socio-ecological resilience and align environmental sustainability with human development goals.
The Working Group on Mountain Natural Capital aims at serving as an interdisciplinary platform for generating systems knowledge, target knowledge, and transformation knowledge in mountain natural capital and ecosystem services, deepening the scientific understanding of socio-ecological systems and contributing to enhanced valuation of mountain landscapes across European regions.
