The Secretary of Planning and Programming of the Presidency, Ekaterina Parrilla, spoke with the WAVES Guatemala Team about using Natural Capital Accounting as a decision-making tool and embedding it in the country’s long-term development plan to balance economic, social and environmental development.
What role does natural capital play in Guatemala’s economic growth?
We are a country that is highly dependent on its natural resources, both positively and negatively. We are a country that depends on agriculture, for example. We also have a high hydrological potential and strong dependence on our forests. Our natural resources are also a tourist attraction.
However, we are also highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and the natural events that are involved, such as floods, draughts, etc. In sum, we have a strong economic dependence on our natural resources and, at the same time are rich in natural resources.
Why did Guatemala join WAVES?
We have several years of experience with a system of environmental and economic accounts. We have moved forward in a positive manner in the analysis of the interdependence between the economy and natural resources, so we thought it important to share our experience. We also believe it is crucial to improve our analysis on the natural capital of our country, which is necessary for the understanding of what our natural resources will represent in the future. It is important to have environmental and economic information available for analysis in the public sector.
What are some of the biggest development challenges facing Guatemala and how can WAVES help?
Effectively, we are a country with big challenges. We have high levels of extreme poverty, food and nutritional insecurity, risk associated with climate change, high levels of maternal mortality, and chronic child malnutrition.
We believe that this initiative can provide inputs for the analysis that we are conducting to craft our 20-year long-term national development plan, which will enable us to reflect on what Guatemala can become in the future by balancing economic, social, and environmental development.
As Secretary of Planning, do you think better information on natural resources will help you in your work?
Yes, absolutely. Precisely for public policy decisions and for the different actions that government has to undertake. And not only the Government, but also public enterprise. If we talk about industrial development or other specific economic sectors, it is always important to take into account all environmental impacts that can be derived in regards to solid waste, residual water, and other impacts, which currently are a problem for our country.
Environmental information will be crucial for the decision-making processes that can leave to more industry and economic activities that can finally deliver higher levels of development and economic growth to the country.